<I>Contributed photo</I><BR>Trail Blazers team representatives work with kids during a tour of Western Oregon earlier this month. They will hold a clinic at Grant Union July 25.

JOHN DAY – Grant County basketball fans will get a special treat this week.

Portland Trail Blazer legends Jerome Kersey and Kevin Duckworth are among a Blazers contingent that will be in John Day on Friday, July 25, to host a free kids’ basketball clinic and visit with fans. The visit is part of the Trail Blazers’ “Make It Better” statewide summer tour.

The Trail Blazers will host a free basketball clinic for kids ages 7-13 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at Grant Union High School. Registration is open to the public, and forms can be picked up at Gleason Pool, the Dayville South Fork Mini Mart, Prairie City’s Bank of Eastern Oregon, Mt. Vernon City Hall, Seneca City Hall, the Long Creek Lodge, and the Monument School District office.

The Trail Blazers contingent also will visit the Grant County Chamber of Commerce, concluding the second leg of the tour, which also includes stops at The Dalles, Pendleton and Burns.

The “Make It Better” statewide summer tour is visiting 19 communities throughout Oregon & Washington, covering more than 2,000 miles to host free kids’ basketball clinics and visit with fans. Trail Blazers broadcasters, senior executives, alumni and Blaze the Trail Cat will make appearances throughout the tour, visiting affiliates and participating in basketball clinics for as many as 5,000 kids throughout the state.

The tour was conceived to connect with fans throughout the state by paying homage to a Trail Blazers tradition started by team founder Harry Glickman and Bill Schonely, the legendary voice of the Blazers for 26 years.

“We recognize that we have a lot of fans and supporters throughout the state who don’t often have the opportunity to experience the Trail Blazers up close and in person,” Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said. “This is a great opportunity to connect the team with our terrific fans throughout the region and let them know they’re appreciated.”

Kersey and Duckworth were both starters for the 1990 and 1992 Western Conference Champion Trail Blazers. Both players now reside in Portland, where they serve as ambassadors to the Trail Blazers organization.

Kersey ranks among the top 10 all-time Trail Blazers leaders in 15 statistical categories for the Trail Blazers and won an NBA Championship with San Antonio in 1999. Duckworth was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 1988, and was a Western Conference All-Star in 1989 and 1991.