Isiah Thomas Helps Allstate Tip-Off First of 10 Youth Basketball Clinics
Benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs, 2004 USA Basketball Team
NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Allstate Insurance Company, USA
Basketball (USAB) and a prominent USAB alumnus today announced an agreement
for Allstate to become the Official Home and Auto Insurance sponsor for USA
Basketball and its Athens-bound 2004 U.S. men's and women's basketball teams.
"Basketball is perhaps one of the sports that best represents the 'Good
Hands,'" said Allstate senior marketing manager, Karen Uhler. "It showcases
the importance of team play, hard work, communication and sportsmanship --
qualities our customers value in employees and agents. We're proud to
announce this exciting new addition to Allstate's U.S. sponsorship family, and
wish both teams success in Athens."
"We're pleased to welcome Allstate to the USA Basketball family," said USA
Basketball executive director Jim Tooley. "Like USA Basketball and its
players and coaches, Allstate represents an uncompromising commitment to
excellence. We greatly value Allstate's support and sponsorship as we prepare
to bring home the gold."
To help connect its USA Basketball sponsorship with agents, customers and
local communities, Allstate and USA Basketball will host a series of ten youth
basketball clinics at select Boys & Girls Clubs in various markets. The first
clinic will be held in New York City on February 22. Beyond providing youth
Club members an opportunity to participate in the clinics, The Allstate
Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to a Boys & Girls Club in each clinic
city for a total contribution of $50,000.
Well-known current and former USA Basketball players and coaches will
participate in the clinics, and offer Boys & Girls Club members and other
select youth not only basketball instruction, but personal insights about the
importance of hard work, dedication, sportsmanship and overall life success
through sports.
The nine additional Allstate youth clinics will be held in Atlanta
(February 24), Chicago (March 1), Washington D.C. (March 3), Philadelphia
(March 12), Denver (March 24), San Francisco (March 26), Indianapolis
(April 6), Dallas (April 13), and Orlando (April 14).
Allstate's new USA Basketball sponsorship marks the first of two strategic
extensions of the company's overall 2004 U.S. Olympic Team sponsorship, with
the second extension expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. "We have a
very substantial piece of our U.S. Olympic sponsorship puzzle to announce next
month in Chicago," teased Uhler.
Known in marketing circles for its creative sponsorship leveraging,
Allstate reunited the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Hockey Team and funded a series
of youth hockey clinics hosted by the team's captain, Mike Eruzione, and
goalie, Jim Craig, as part of its 2002 U.S. Olympic Team sponsorship in Salt
Lake City. That team was then selected to light the Olympic Cauldron during
the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and is the subject of a newly-released motion
picture.
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) is the nation's largest publicly held
personal lines insurer. Widely known through the "You're In Good Hands With
Allstate(R)" slogan, Allstate provides insurance products to more than
16 million households and has approximately 12,900 exclusive agencies and
financial specialists in the U.S. and Canada. Customers can access Allstate
products and services through Allstate agents, or in select states at
allstate.com and 1-800 Allstate(R). Encompass(SM) and Deerbrook(R) Insurance
brand property and casualty products are sold exclusively through independent
agents. Allstate Financial Group includes the businesses that provide life
insurance, annuity, retirement, banking and investment products through
distribution channels that include Allstate agents, independent agents,
worksite, financial institutions and broker-dealers.
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a nonprofit
organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball
in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the
United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United
States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the
selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in international
basketball competitions like the Olympics and World Championships, as well as
for some national competitions.
SOURCE Allstate Insurance Company
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Related links:
http://allstate.com
CONTACT:
Josh Gold, +1-949-223-2350, or
+1-310-920-3666, for Allstate Insurance Company; or Emily Daly of
Allstate Insurance Company, +1-847-402-5600
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