Hibbett Sports, Inc. announced that Alabama Governor Bob Riley has proclaimed Tuesday, September 29, 2009, Hibbett Sports Day for the state of Alabama. Governor Riley's declaration cited Hibbett Sports' contributions to the community through the Hibbett Sports Operation Sports Renovation and the Hibbett Sports Superstars programs.
Mickey Newsome, chairman and chief executive officer of Hibbett Sports, stated, “We are honored to be recognized by Governor Riley for our involvement in local communities in the state of Alabama. While our roots are clearly in Alabama, we operate a total of 759 stores in 24 states. For each store, we research the markets to learn what the customers want, then constantly update our merchandise assortment to meet the diverse product technology, performance and fashion needs of our customers' active lifestyles. We take great pride in offering our customers the convenience of buying the best in sports in their own neighborhoods with superior service.”
The Hibbett Sports Operation Sports Renovation program helps restore schools' athletic programs that have been affected by natural disasters or are in need as a result of economic conditions. Through the program to date, Hibbett Sports and its partners donated apparel and equipment to five schools, in addition to grants of $3,000 each toward renovation supplies. Two of the five assisted schools – Enterprise High School and Peter F. Alba Elementary and Middle School – are located in Alabama. Enterprise was destroyed by a March 2007 tornado that rocked the city of Enterprise, and the Peter F. Alba schools in Bayou La Batre were flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Hibbett Sports Superstars, another program designed to encourage and support sports and good sportsmanship by giving back to local communities, has honored more than 100 young athletes and made donations to charities in their communities since its inception.
Since its 1945 founding in Florence, Alabama, by high school coach Rufus Hibbett as Dixie Supply Co. Inc., Hibbett Sports continues to maintain its legacy as a neighborhood sporting goods store. It currently has 759 stores in 24 states. Among those, Hibbett Sports operates 79 stores in 64 cities in its home state of Alabama. Since 1981, the company's corporate headquarters has been in Birmingham, Alabama.
