Nike and Livestrong part ways
Nike will cut ties with Livestrong, the cancer charity founded by Lance Armstrong. That ends the sports shoe and apparel company's nine-year union with the nonprofit organization.
By
Evan Hilbert
•
1 min read
Nike will cut ties with Livestrong, the cancer charity founded by Lance Armstrong. That ends the sports shoe and apparel company's nine-year union with the nonprofit organization.
Nike dropped its personal sponsorship of Armstrong last year after the cyclist was embroiled in a doping scandal. Armstrong finally admitted earlier this year to using performance-enhancing drugs.
Livestrong, which announced the move Tuesday, had removed Armstrong from its board of directors in October.
"This news will prompt some to jump to negative conclusions about the foundation's future. We see things quite differently," Livestrong said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. "We expected and planned for changes like this and are therefore in a good position to adjust swiftly and move forward with our patient-focused work."
Armstrong started the charity in 1997, though he refused comment to the AP citing that he is no longer connected to either Livestrong or Nike.
For its part, Livestrong claims to be in a sound financial position, and the foundation said it is "deeply grateful" for Nike's role in helping build the Livestrong brand.
"Together, we created new, revolutionary ways of thinking about how nonprofits fuel their mission and we're proud of that," the foundation said.
With Nike's help, Livestrong raised more than $100 million and made the yellow Livestrong bracelet an icon for cancer survivors.
