The 18th Doernbecher Freestyle program — a partnership between Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Nike — on Friday held its first in-person event for the patient-designer sneaker reveal since 2019, prior to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Six young patients from OHSU Doernbecher have been working closely with expert NIKE, Inc. creative teams to design their very own sneaker, apparel and equipment collections. The big reveal, held at the Portland Art Museum, allowed patient-designers to unveil their unique designs to an excited audience, followed by an auction to benefit the children’s hospital, which provides the most comprehensive complex children’s care in Oregon.
The highly sought-after collections represent each patient-designer’s medical journey, interests and relationships with loved ones and clinicians. Importantly, the collections also provide a unique opportunity for each child to give back to the hospital that helped save their lives. The full collection will be available on SNKRS, the Nike App, Nike.com and at select retailers in early 2023.
Since 2004, Doernbecher Freestyle has engaged 110 patient-designers and hundreds of NIKE, Inc. employees who volunteer their time to make each patient’s design dreams come true. The program has produced more than100 unique collections — including shoes, hoodies, hats and backpacks — as well as a University of Oregon Ducks football uniform, all designed by young OHSU Doernbecher patients. Alongside their individual team of NIKE, Inc. designers and developers, each collection tells a patient’s personal story of bravery, creativity, gratitude and hope.
“Freestyle is amazing, and my favorite night of this or any year. These six kids show us courage, perseverance and generosity, giving back to a hospital and to people who have helped them through some of the toughest times in their young lives,” said Dana Braner, M.D., FAAP, FCCM, physician-in-chief at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital; and, Credit Unions for Kids chair, professor and chair of pediatrics, OHSU School of Medicine. “Our future lies in our children, and every year Freestyle shows again that our future is in excellent hands. Thank you to everyone who makes this happen. Our kids get to show themselves to the world as the superstars they are because of your efforts.”
Over the years, each collection has been auctioned and sold — with Nike donating 100% of the retail profits to OHSU Doernbecher — to raise more than $33 million for the children’s hospital. This one-of-a-kind collaboration between OHSU Doernbecher and Nike has helped to cover the cost of care for families in need, expand pioneering research that benefits kids around the world, and support specialized care unavailable anywhere else in the region.
This year’s auction raised nearly $1 million to support OHSU Doernbecher’s vital mission. To learn more about the Doernbecher Freestyle program, visit the OHSU Foundation website.
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