Fred Meyer Hosts Trail Blazers Players To Kickoff Coat Drive

From the Portland Trail Blazers: Winter weather is approaching, and Portland Trail Blazers players Evan Turner and Noah Vonleh want to make sure local kids in need keep warm.

It’s time for the Eighth Annual Fred Meyer Coat Drive, and Trail Blazers fans are asked to fill donation bins with new or gently-used coats for distribution by local Portland-metro nonprofits helping kids and their families.

To tip-off this year’s drive, Turner and Vonleh will host an event with Fred Meyer associates on Sunday, Dec. 3, to spread the word about helping underserved youth. The launch location is the Walker Road Fred Meyer in Beaverton, 15995 SW Walker Rd., from 3 to 4 p.m.

“It’s important to me that the kids in our community are prepared for winter” Turner said. “Fred Meyer stores, along with Noah and I, invite Trail Blazers fans to join us in helping to keep Portland youth of all ages warm and dry. We’ve made it convenient by placing donation bins at 14 participating Fred Meyer locations all over the area. The season of giving has begun, so let’s all participate.”

"I am proud to be teaming up with Fred Meyer this holiday season to collect and distribute winter coats to those in need,” said Vonleh. “Fred Meyer is a tireless supporter of the Portland community and its commitment to giving back is something that I admire. As a professional athlete, I think it is important that I utilize my platform to give back to the local community and I am so honored to be a part of such a good cause to benefit the Portland community."

Over the eight years of the program, thousands of coats have been donated to local youth in need. Fans that post their donation on social media using the hashtag #FredMeyerCoatDrive have a chance to win various prizes from the Trail Blazers and Fred Meyer. Below is a list of participating Fred Meyer locations:

Participating Fred Meyer Store Addresses:

• 11425 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, OR 97005
• 16301 SE 82nd Drive, Clackamas, OR 97015
• 14700 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97236
• 1111 NE 102nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220
• 6495 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy, Hillsboro, OR 97123
• 3030 NE Weidler St, Portland, OR 97232
• 7404 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217
• 5253 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
• 15995 SW Walker Rd, Beaverton, OR 97006
• 19200 SW Martinazzi, Tualatin, OR 97062
• 1839 Molalla Ave, Oregon City, OR 97045
• 1401 SE First, Canby, OR 97103
• 22075 NW Imbrie Dr., Hillsboro OR 97124
• 2497 SE Burnside Rd., Gresham, OR 97080

ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by Paul G. Allen in 1988.

The team's rich heritage includes 33 playoff appearances, three trips to the NBA Finals, an NBA championship in 1977 and a commitment to community service and sustainability. The Trail Blazers are dedicated to positively impacting underserved kids and their families throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington where they live, learn and play.

Portland is the first and only professional sports franchise to receive the prestigious National Points of Light Award for excellence in corporate and community service. The Trail Blazers home arena, the Moda Center, earned LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 after becoming the first existing professional sports venue in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010.

The team is also one of the founding members of the Green Sports Alliance. For more information, visit www.trailblazers.com

ABOUT FRED MEYER STORES

Fred Meyer Stores, based in Portland, Ore., offers one-stop shopping at its 133 multi-department stores in four western states. More than 30,000 Fred Meyer associates help customers fill their food, apparel, and general merchandise needs in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Stores range in size from 65,000 to 200,000 square feet and carry more than 250,000 products under one roof.

Additionally, Fred Meyer contributes more than $4 million to communities across the Northwest each year through grants from the Fred Meyer Foundation as well as product donations, cash donations and sponsorships. Fred Meyer also donates more than 4 million pounds of food to local food banks each year via the Perishable Donation Program.

Fred Meyer Stores is a division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). For more information, please visit our Web site at www.fredmeyer.com

Photo courtesy of AP/Craig Mitchelldyer