Sports Basement goes beyond its pledge to customers of “Best Brands at Basement Prices.” The Bay Area sporting goods chain of four stores partners with communities and school districts to encourage an active lifestyle.
The approximately 50,000-square-foot Sports Basement store at 1177 Kern Avenue, Sunnyvale, is in partnership with the Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and Santa Clara Unified School Districts, helping to raise funds for their athletic programs.
Sports Basement donates a percentage of all its debit card sales to schools. In 2009 the Sunnyvale store donated $1,000 to the Santa Clara Unified School District (SCUSD) and $1,000 to Sunnyvale. In 2010 it donated $1,500 to Santa Clara, $500 to Sunnyvale and $500 to Cupertino schools. About $29,500 total has been donated to Bay Area schools by all four stores.
It’s a three-way win. The percentage fee that Sports Basement pays banks is higher for credit card transactions than for debit card transactions. When a customer makes a purchase with a debit card instead of a credit card, the store doesn’t pocket the savings. Instead, the store automatically sets aside that savings for the schools. The schools benefit with no added cost to customers or the store.
“Santa Clara Unified is very grateful to have a partnership with the community-based Sports Basement. Its Marketing Department has opened their doors by allowing Santa Clara Unified School District to host meetings in their store and helping with fundraising efforts during these tough budgetary times,” e-mails Angie Scott, SCUSD coordinator for elementary physical education and PE partnerships.
“Our district-wide elementary physical education program is the most recent beneficiary of Sports Basement’s financial support,” writes Scott. “Thanks to their donation, we are able to purchase replacement equipment we would have otherwise had to forego.”
“We’re really profound in terms of promoting a healthy lifestyle, whether for adults or kids. We want to support community groups and schools and make an active lifestyle affordable and accessible,” says Sunnyvale Sports Basement Marketing Manager Robert Chang, who joined Sports Basement shortly after he summitted Mt. Everest in 2005 in memory of his sister, Marie, who died of cancer in 2001.
Sports Basement makes a point of hiring service-oriented athletes who are knowledgeable about sports and can give customers reliable information to help them make decisions about lifestyle and sports equipment and clothing purchases.
“People are watching their dollars now. We want to make sure you’re getting the right product—that we’re not over- or under-selling for your needs,” says Chang.
Sports Basement has a discount revenue share program with SCUSD. Students, staff, and families who mention the program at check out time, receive a 10% discount, and 5% of that discount is donated to the schools.
“In addition to supporting specific programs and school fundraisers, Sports Basement’s generosity impacts our Santa Clara Unified community (students, staff, and families) by helping to replenish consumable and/or expired items in all of our 69 Automated External Defibrillators. They have also helped our community be more prepared for emergencies by offering free CPR/AED classes,” writes Scott.
For Sports Basement information and a link to a video of Chang summitting Mt. Everest, visit the website: www.sportsbasement.com. Drop by for free classes in activities such as yoga, zumba, running and bicycling. Schedule a meeting for your own group. Make an appointment for a bicycle fitting. Rent skis at low cost before you hit the slopes.
And when you make a purchase at Sports Basement, remember to use your debit card to score for the schools.