SPONSORS JOIN FIELD.

Byline: OLYMPIC TRIALS By Sherri Buri McDonald The Register-Guard

Few of the local companies that are helping fund the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials in Eugene this summer will get a direct boost to their bottom line.

Most of the dozen donors contacted by The Register-Guard said they were motivated by pride in the community and love for the sport.

But they also don't mind that they, and their city, will be affiliated with the country's most prestigious track and field event leading up to the Olympics.

Take Jon Anderson, owner and publisher of Random Lengths, a niche publisher based in Eugene that covers the wood products industry. Those steeped in Eugene's running tradition are familiar with Anderson's accomplished past, but it comes as a surprise to others. Anderson ran the 10,000 meters at the 1972 Trials, won a spot on the Olympic team and competed in Munich. The next year, he won the Boston Marathon.

Today, the 58-year-old still runs several times a week near his office on Country Club Road.

Random Lengths contributed to the renovation of the University of Oregon's Hayward Field, where the Trials will be held. The publishing company also gave to the Trials festival, which will transform the turf field behind the West Grandstand and sections of nearby streets into a free, public fan zone. Two jumbo video screens will broadcast the competition, a stage will offer live music and athlete interviews, and a mix of interactive displays, food booths and other exhibits will fill the grounds.

Anderson declined to say how much he has contributed to the Trials. He said he wants to support track and field events because that's "where my heart is." He thinks the Trials and other high-profile meets could be among the biggest boons ever to the local tourism industry.

"I don't live off of that," he said, "but I support it."

Eugene also has been chosen to put the Trials on in 2012. And, Anderson said, the winning streak could continue well beyond, if these events are successful and the community supports them.

"That's the key," he emphasized. "The community has to step up and support this."

That support is coming in many ways, including millions of dollars from businesses and other sponsors.

Trials organizers said they have raised and spent $8 million on Hayward Field improvements. Separately, the meet and festival will cost $9.5 million to $10 million to run, said Greg Erwin, co-chairman of the local organizing committee. Ticket sales are expected to bring in $3.75 million; state and local governments have pledged $950,000; and organizers are hoping to raise the remaining $5 million from donations and partnerships. Donors have pledged about $3.5 million so far, so organizers are still working to raise $1.5 million to $2 million.

About 55 companies, individuals or government agencies have signed on as Trials partners, including The Register-Guard, which is contributing a mix of cash and advertising space.

Nike, which won't disclose how much it's donating - other than to say it is seven figures - is the event's single biggest donor. Dick's Sporting Goods, a retailer based in Pittsburgh, Penn., and Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene gave $250,000; and Northwest Airlines, Spring Capital Group (which is owned by the local Woolley and Connor families), Northwest News Channel 8, Windermere Real Estate and the Oregon Lottery each gave $100,000.

About 30 businesses or individuals are giving at least $10,000 each as part of the 100 Meter Club. Mark Pilkenton, the Nike marketing executive who is helping local organizers stage the festival, said organizers hope to enlist at least 70 more members.

So far, the response is fairly typical for this type of event, he said. Festival organizers waited for fundraising for Hayward Field improvements to wrap up before they launched their campaign in order to avoid bombarding the same people with money requests, Pilkenton said. The slower economy is a factor, too, he said.

"You have to be very patient," Pilkenton said. "Typically, there's a big rush two to three months out, and we're starting to see that."

Some contributors said they hoped their involvement would spur others to donate.

"We feel that if we can step up for community (events) and charities, then other people will see this really is within (their) means," said Jack Joyce, a founder of Rogue River Brewing Co., which started in Ashland, but now is based in Newport. As a member of the 100 Meter Club, the brewery pledged $10,000.

Rennie's Landing, a watering hole near the University of Oregon campus, also joined the 100 Meter Club.

As longtime track fans, "we wanted to show our appreciation and help them fund it," owner Jon LaBranch said, adding that he's somewhat surprised that more local businesses haven't pitched in. "I

would think it would behoove other businesses to step up a little bit, because there are obviously going to be a lot of people in town, and most certainly in the hospitality industry that would benefit most everyone," he said.

Trials organizers had hoped to attract another major partner besides Nike, but Pilkenton said that's been a challenge because such donors expect TV exposure, and that's something local organizers don't control. Only official sponsors of the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Track & Field, the governing body for the sport, can place ads in Hayward Field, which have a chance of showing up on NBC and USA Network broadcasts of the competition.

The USOC and USA Track & Field must approve allcontracts inked by local Trials organizers, to ensure that partners at the local level don't conflict with sponsors of the USOC and USA Track & Field, Pilkenton said. Nike is a sponsor of both organizations and of the Trials.

For the most part, companies that have been approved as Trials partners don't compete in the same industries as sponsors of the USOC and USA Track & Field, he said, citing Sacred Heart Medical Center as an example.

Sacred Heart is donating $250,000, Pilkenton said. The donation, mostly cash and some medical supplies, is a bit of a departure for the hospital, whose giving traditionally has focused on health care services, said Marilyn Klug, regional vice president of strategy, innovation and development.

But as a leading employer in the area, Sacred Heart wanted to support this event, which is aligned with the hospital's mission to promote health and fitness, she said.

Sacred Heart will have a tent at the fan festival where it will offer free health screenings and information about its two sites: downtown Eugene and at the RiverBend campus, set to open in August.

Sacred Heart participates in many health fairs throughout the year, Klug said, "but you're not going to hit the mass that you're going to have here" at the Trials.

The new medical center at RiverBend may get some national exposure by hosting 300 members of the national media at its new campus on July 2. The Springfield Chamber of Commerce and the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon are organizing the event.

"What better way to introduce not only our community but a state-of-the-art medical center to the nation," Klug said.

Sponsor Windermere Real Estate gave a big chunk of its marketing budget to support the Trials.

"Instead of doing radio or billboards, we wanted to do something that directly benefited the community," said Matt Powell, who owns the firm with his wife, Tanya. "It was not only advertising, but also saying we're committed to this community."

Powell said he will spend most of his time during the 10-day Trials at Windermere's 20-foot-by-20-foot booth at the fan festival. The booth will be brimming with children's art - winners of the agency's art contest for kindergarteners through high school seniors.

"We wanted to make our booth somewhere people would want to stop by and see, not just a hospitality tent or a place to push propaganda," he said.

As part of their partnerships, donors receive such goodies as tickets and souvenirs. Windermere received several sets of prime tickets, which it plans to raffle off to benefit local charities.

Three Rivers Casino in Florence gave $50,000 to the Trials to support one of the biggest events of the year and to boost awareness of its business in the region, general manager Mike Rose said.

"For us to be tied with the Trials is a good thing," he said. "We are a regional destination that people come to from within a 250- to 300-mile range," Rose said. "We want to keep our name out there, so when people want to do this kind of activity, they know we're very close and we're civic-minded."

Many smaller business owners said they were backing the Trials because they want Eugene to reclaim its standing as "Track Town U.S.A."

"It's something that we as a community can be proud of," said Richard Skeie, an owner of Skeie's Jewelers and contributor to the Trials. "It's a very wholesome thing to be known for. I'm proud of it, and I'd like to sponsor it."