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RALEIGH, October 8, 2007 – Ka’Ron Wilson has a quiet confidence. At just 15 years old, and
in his freshman year at Western Harnett High School, he wants to be an inspiration to younger
kids. In his winning entry to The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) nationwide In My Shoes contest the
student athlete expressed his goal to make his school’s basketball team and to help that team
reach a championship. He’ll have some guidance from another athlete who battled for firststring
and a championship: Ka’Ron’s contest prize has earned him face time with Carolina
Hurricanes goalie, Cam Ward, who led his team to a Stanley cup in his rookie season. The two
will meet on October 15th at The Athlete’s Foot store in Fuquay, North Carolina.
“Through the In My Shoes contest, we’ve had the pleasure of hearing from our nation’s young
athletes about their performance goals for this school year,” commented Robert W. D’Loren,
President and CEO of NexCen Brands, Inc., parent company of TAF. “The Athlete’s Foot stores
in their communities are proud to support them as they aspire to achieve and excel. Ka’Ron
demonstrated a passion for his sport and for serving as a role model and we’re thrilled to be
able to introduce him to another area athlete who shares his drive and competitive spirit.”
Ka’Ron’s winning contest entry stated his dedication to “practice to [his] maximum potential,”
and he has already begun a training regimen in advance of try-outs for his school’s basketball
team. His regular routine includes sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups and running to build stamina. No
stranger to the sport, Ka’Ron played basketball for his middle school as well as on his local AAU
basketball team, where he was named MVP two years in a row.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to meet Cam Ward,” commented Ka’Ron when
notified of his prize, “I can’t wait to talk to him about what motivates him to succeed, where his
passion comes from and how he continues to excel in his sport.”
On the road to the Huirrcane’s 2006 Stanley Cup win, Ward became the first rookie goalie in 20
years to record a shutout in the Finals, the first rookie in 20 years to start a game in the Finals,
and one of eleven rookies to record a shutout in the Finals. He was most recently a member of
the 2007 gold medal Canadian IIHF World Championship.
Ka’Ron Wilson and Cam Ward will meet on Monday, October 15th, at Ka’Ron’s local Athlete’s
Foot store located at 1353 E. Broad Street in Fuquay Varina, NC. There, Ward will make a
public appearance from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and will meet Ka’Ron and present him with a gift card
prize from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.
“We are extremely pleased to unite Ka’Ron with another dedicated athlete, Cam Ward, at our
TAF store,” said Rae Ann Womble, franchisee, The Athlete’s Foot. “One of the most enjoyable
aspects of owning a TAF store is connecting with my local community and helping our
customers to perform at their highest level."
Womble is opening a second TAF store in her home town of Sanford, NC on October 17th and
will hold a grand opening there in late October.
The TAF In My Shoes campaign, which the retailer launched in late July invited students ages
13 to 18 nationwide to submit written or video (YouTube) entries stating their performance goals
for the new school year. Local winners, selected from participating TAF stores, will receive a
$75 TAF gift card.
In addition to the Raleigh event with Cam Ward, nine other regional winners have won the
opportunity to meet pro athletes from their communities, including:
- Redskins running back Clinton Portis
- Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle
- New York Knicks forward David Lee
- Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn
- Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley
- Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna
- Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown
- Houston Texans running back Ahman Green
- New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston
The Athlete’s Foot is thrilled to contribute 10% of the proceeds from the memorabilia sales at
each regional meet-and-greet to The Achilles Track Club’s (ATC) Achilles Kids program
(www.achillestrackclub.org), which enables young people with all types of disabilities to
participate in mainstream athletics, to promote personal achievement, enhanced self esteem
and the lowering of barriers between people.
One national winner will have a one-on-one coaching session with one of the hottest
professional athletes in the country. The winner and athlete will be announced by late October.
About The Athlete’s Foot (www.theathletesfoot.com)
The Athlete's Foot® (TAF) is the world's first franchisor of athletic footwear stores and is
recognized today as the world leader in athletic footwear franchising. Robert and David Lando
opened the first The Athlete's Foot store in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first
athletic footwear specialty store of its kind in the United States. Soon thereafter, TAF began
franchising domestically, with the first franchise store opening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The first
international franchise store opened in 1978 in Adelaide, Australia, the beginning of TAF’s
expansion into over 45 countries. In June, 2007, NexCen Brands launched a global re-branding
effort for TAF. Plans for reinvigorating the 36 year-old brand include an innovative new modular
merchandising system, new in-store design, a modernized company logo, and a line of TAF
branded apparel.
About NexCen Brands, Inc. (Nasdaq: NEXC) (www.nexcenbrands.com)
NexCen Brands, Inc. is the premier 21st century brand acquisition and management company
focused on assembling a diversified portfolio of intellectual property-centric companies
operating in the consumer branded products and franchise industries. The Company owns,
licenses, franchises and markets a growing portfolio of consumer and franchise brands
including The Athlete's Foot®, Bill Blass®, MaggieMoo's®, Marble Slab Creamery®, Pretzel
Time®, Pretzelmaker® and Waverly®. The Company licenses and franchises its brands to a
network of leading retailers, manufacturers and franchisees that includes every major segment
of retail distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in the U.S. and in over 50
countries around the world, and consists of more than 1,500 franchised stores. NexCen,
through its information technology and franchisee support systems and advertising, marketing
and public relations team, markets its brands to continually drive greater consumer awareness
and brand equity for each of its brands. NexCen touches nearly every aspect of a consumer's
lifestyle from the food they eat to the furnishings in their homes and the clothes and footwear
they purchase.
Media Contact:
Susan Goodell
Warschawski
410.367.2700 ext. 25
susan.goodell@warschawski.com
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