Portland Trail Blazers announce ‘Rip City Rally’ Sept. 18 in La Pine, includes school visits, community fair

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Portland Trail Blazers and Moda Health are excited to announce the route for their ninth annual Rip City Rally, including a Monday, Sept. 18 visit to La Pine that includes school visits and a community fair.

Roving ambassadors from both the team and the health company will visit cities throughout Central and Southwest Oregon, connecting with communities to highlight that the Trail Blazers are indeed Oregon’s team, and that Moda is committed to building healthy communities throughout the state. 

Trail Blazers and Moda Health representatives will visit area elementary, middle and high schools, engaging with students through career panels, school assemblies and P.E. activities. Each day’s activities will conclude with a community fair from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at which fans can expect games, giveaways and fun activities with Trail Blazers mascots Blaze the Trail Cat and Douglas Fur, along with BlazerDancers, bringing energy, entertainment and community connection to each stop.  

After tipping off on Monday, September 18, in La Pine, the Rally continues to Lakeview on September 19 before venturing to Klamath Falls and Medford, finally closing out the week of fun in Cottage Grove on September 22.  

Each day, Moda Health’s booth at the fair will feature information and activities to encourage healthy living, as well as a raffle that attendees can enter for a chance to win a signed Trail Blazers basketball. Any Moda Health member can also present their physical or digital membership card and receive a special gift.  

Each visit features a ceremonial ribbon cutting and gift presentation with city officials prior to the community fair. Additionally, Moda Health has selected a youth-serving nonprofit partner in each community, showcasing them at the fair and providing a monetary donation to help fund the amazing work each partner does throughout the state to benefit future generations. 

 
Here are the locations for each Rip City Fair along the Rally route: 

·         La Pine, September 18 – La Pine Community Center (16405 1st St., La Pine, OR) 

·         Lakeview, September 19 – (North E Street (Between 1^st and 2^nd St) Lakeview, OR) 

·         Klamath Falls, September 20 – Veterans Memorial Park (10 George Nurse Way, Klamath Falls, OR) 

·         Medford, September 21 – Pear Blossom Block Park (204 N Bartlett St, Medford, OR)  

·         Cottage Grove, September 22 – Coiner Park (1319 E Main St, Cottage Grove, OR) 

Trail Blazers personalities participating in different legs of the rally include Television and Radio Broadcasters, In-Arena Host Todd Bosma, Blaze the Trail Cat, Douglas Fur, BlazerDancers, and more.  

Please visit https://www.nba.com/blazers/ripcityrally for updates and information all along the rally. 

ABOUT THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS 

Members of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Portland Trail Blazers were founded in 1970 and purchased by the late Paul G. Allen in 1988. The team's rich heritage includes 37 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, Moda Center, is the first existing arena to earn LEED Platinum Certification in 2019 after receiving LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 and 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 trailblazers.com.  

ABOUT MODA  

Founded in Portland in 1955, Moda is a company committed to building healthier communities. With more than 1,300 employees, Moda has more than 400,000 members in its medical plans and nearly 1 million members in its stand-alone pharmacy segment. The Moda family of enterprises includes Moda Health, Ardon Health, Arrow Dental, Astra Practice Partners, BenefitHelp Solutions, Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization, Emerging Health, Moda Assurance Company, ODS Community Dental, OHSU Health IDS, and Summit Health. Affiliated companies include Delta Dental of Oregon and Delta Dental of Alaska with more than 1 million dental members. In 2013, Moda launched a landmark 15-year community investment agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers. In recognition of Moda’s commitment to that partnership, the team renamed its arena, Portland’s central city landmark, the Moda Center.