Nike Foundation Makes $1 Million Donation to Relief Efforts as Wildfires Blaze in Home State of Oregon

Samantha McDonald
·2 min read

Nike Foundation is donating $1 million to relief efforts as wildfires continue to blaze in its home state of Oregon.

The sportswear giant, whose campus is located in the city of Beaverton, Ore., announced today during its annual shareholder meeting that its funding will focus on both “immediate aid and longer-term efforts” in support of communities that have been impacted by the spreading flames.

Nike shared with FN that it was in the process of identifying organizations that align with its focus and is set to make announcement at a later date. It added that its employees both in the state and around the world are making their own financial contributions, which the Nike Foundation will match one for one.

According to local weather forecasts, Beaverton, Ore., is enveloped in a haze of smoke as of this afternoon. The city is not currently in the evacuation zone, but meteorologists have reported hazardous air quality conditions throughout Portland, which is only a 10-minute drive east.

According to data from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fires — termed the August Complex wildfire — have spread across about 840,000 acres, making it the largest California wildfire in modern history. They were said to have originated as 38 separate fires, a result of lightning strikes from Tropical Storm Fausto on Aug. 16 and 17.

A number of retailers and brands with stores, distribution centers and offices in the region, as well as employees and their homes, have been affected by the widespread blazes. Among those that have also assisted in relief efforts are family-owned and -operated footwear retailer Beck’s Shoes, which is providing shoes, socks and insoles to those in need, as well as designer John Elliott, whose namesake brand is donating all proceeds of its made-in-Los Angeles “Fire Relief” T-shirts to CAL FIRE Strike teams in California as well as the nonprofit California Fire Fund.

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