JOHANNESBURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Footballer Alexandre Pato and former South African international Shaun Bartlett joined NIKE Inc. (NYSE:NKE), the world’s largest football company, today to celebrate the completion of the new community Football Training Center in Soweto, South Africa. The center will give 20,000 young footballers a year the chance to develop their football talent while also having access to HIV/AIDS education through football life skills programming.

“Nike has always understood the power of sport to inspire change and to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Mark Parker, NIKE, Inc., President and CEO. “The Football Training Center will create a lasting legacy for the Soweto community and inspire the next generation of footballers by delivering premium football clinics combined with life skills programming to give young people the knowledge they need to live HIV free.”

South African government ministers were joined by community and business leaders, along with professional athletes, to support the unveiling of the Football Training Center.

“The City of Johannesburg has always said that government working alone and in isolation will not be able to effectively address the complex challenges that face our society. To succeed, we need a partnership across all spheres of government, amongst and with civil society organizations, business as well as communities,” said City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor Counsellor Amos Masondo.

“The City of Johannesburg is proud to have played a part in creating this world class Football Training Center. This facility will bring people together through community-based football programs and provide inspiration to thousands of young footballers who aspire to play for their country,” he said.

Former South African National team player Shaun Bartlett added: “The power that this football training program will have on the future footballers of South Africa can’t be underestimated. It will help players develop their game and become more disciplined on and off field. Our ultimate aim is to see kids from this program succeed at every level of the game.”

The center is part of Nike’s commitment to the communities of South Africa which dates back 15 years. It also follows Nike’s recent partnership with (RED) to leverage the power of sport to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa through the Lace Up, Save Lives campaign. When someone buys a pair of (NIKE)^RED laces, Nike contributes money to support programs that offer education and medication on the ground in Africa and that harness the power of sport to engage youth around the world in the fight against AIDS.

The first round of (NIKE)^RED grant recipients, receiving money from the initial six months of fundraising, were announced today at the Football Training Center. Twenty six community-based football programs, across 16 African countries will share $450,000 in grants to further their programming to educate youth on HIV/AIDS prevention through the lens of sport.

“HIV/AIDS continues to be a critical health issue in South Africa and we value the benefit that public/private partnerships bring to helping fight this disease,” said Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health South Africa. “Nike’s approach to combine football, education and medication is a powerful example of how sport can be used as a catalyst, enabling youth to make informed decisions and hopefully live a life free of HIV.”

Nike has invested in HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Africa and globally for several years, and will continue to engage with its existing community non-profit partners to use football and sport as a tool for development throughout the country.

About Nike

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly-owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan, which designs, markets and distributes luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Umbro Ltd., a leading United Kingdom-based global football (soccer) brand. For more information, visit www.nikebiz.com.

For more information about Nike’s partnership with (RED) visit: www.nikefootball.com/RED

About (RED)™and (PRODUCT)^RED™

(RED)’s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT)R^ED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to help finance HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, including interventions targeting women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Bugaboo, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, FLOWE(RED) (U.K. only), Hallmark (U.S. only), Dell, Nike, Penguin and Starbucks. Since its launch in the Spring of 2006, $150 million has been generated by (RED) partners and events for the Global Fund. (RED) money is at work in Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia and supports programs that have reached more than 5 million people. For more information, visit www.joinred.com.

For more information, including multi-media materials, please visit: www.nikemedia.com

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