Nike, University Of Oregon Unveil New Football Uniforms Designed By Childhood Cancer Survivors

PORTLAND, OR — The University of Oregon's Ducks football team will unveil a new uniform at its home game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene Sept. 9. While this in and of itself isn't necessarily new news — the Ducks are well-known for their vast array of Nike-designed uniforms, with a new handful revealed just about every year — the new uniforms coming for the Ducks game against the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Cornhuskers are particularly special because they were designed by kids; and not just any kids.

In partnership with the UO and Nike, three juvenile cancer survivors from Doernbecher Children's Hospital at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland helped design all the gear the Ducks will be wearing and, as a bonus, a sweet set of sneakers and other apparel.

It's part of the Freestyle program put on by Doernbecher and Nike for the past 14 years, which annually joins together a handful of Doernbecher patients with professional Nike designers to create limited edition apparel, the proceeds from which benefit the children's hospital. To date, 90 kids have participated in the program, helping to raise $17 million for the hospital.

This is the first time, however, a Freestyle program design has made it to the field, so to speak.

"I really think that this is the most important uniform that Oregon has ever worn," Nike Creative Director Todd Van Horne said in a promotional video shown at the unveiling event at Doernbecher on Aug. 24. "I really, really hope that this helps raise the funding and awareness to beat childhood cancer."

The three kids — Ethan Frank, 13, of Medford; Sophia Malinoski, 10, of Portland; and Joe MacDonald, 14, of Gresham — were also at the unveiling event, where they had the opportunity to explain their designs as well as share part of their individual cancer-survivor stories.

Both Ethan and Sophia went through extensive surgeries for brain cancer, they said, while Joe took aggressive Chemotherapy treatments for Burkitt Leukemia, a fast-growing blood cancer. For all of them, the chance to help create the Oregon Ducks uniform was truly exciting, they said, each taking personal pride in the elements of the uniform they helped to design.

Sophia helped design the mirror-like reflective helmet and drew the Oregon Duck stomping on "cancer"; Ethan offered concepts for the gloves and jersey; and Joe worked on the cleats, socks, and compression pants. Together, their ideas created one classy-looking Ducks uniform.

Look for the new uniforms at the Ducks-Cornhuskers game Sept. 9 at 1:30 p.m. in Eugene.

Photo Courtesy: Nike, Inc.