Dick's Sporting Goods Announces Grand Opening Celebration at Conway Commons in Conway, AR

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dick's Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the largest U.S. based full-line sporting goods retailer, invites the community of Conway to their three-day grand opening weekend. The store will open its doors on Wednesday, October 19 and begin the celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 21 at 8 AM at the retailer's new location at Conway Commons, 620 Elsinger Avenue, Conway, AR 72032 (501-336-0700).  Special extended store hours will also be in effect for Friday (8 AM–10 PM), Saturday (8 AM – 10 PM) and Sunday (9 AM–8 PM).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110912/PH65977LOGO )

Dick's Sporting Goods has a variety of special athlete appearances and give-a-ways scheduled to celebrate the grand opening festivities. On Friday, the first customers through the door will receive a free adidas t-shirt while supplies last.

Saturday, for the first 100 customers through the door, Crocs will be giving away a free pair of adult Crocs (limit one per person and must be 18 years or older) and University of Arkansas alumni Corliss Williamson will be onsite from 2 PM – 4 PM.* Leading Arkansas to the 1994 NCAA Basketball Championship, Williamson earned SEC Player of the Year honors on two occasions. After spending 12 years in the NBA, Williamson is now the head men's basketball coach at the University of Central Arkansas and a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Sunday's schedule will feature a Mystery Gift Card Giveaway for the first 100 customers, where unmarked gift cards will be handed out with varying denominations from $5 to one lucky $500 gift card (limit one per person and must be 18 years or older). Plus a free Reebok t-shirt will be distributed while supplies last and special appearance by current ESPN and ABC Sports basketball broadcaster Jimmy Dykes from noon – 2 PM.* A graduate of Arkansas, Dykes was a member of the Razorbacks basketball team and served as an assistant men's basketball coach for several years.  

"Dick's Sporting Goods is excited to become a member of the Conway community with the opening of our newest location," said Lauren Hobart, Dick's Sporting Goods Chief Marketing Officer. "Unsurpassed customer service and the best products in the industry are the hallmarks of our stores and we're excited to bring these traditions to Conway. We look forward to becoming an integrated member of the Conway community."  

The Conway location will be the retailer's second store in the state of Arkansas and their 468th nationwide.

Throughout the weekend, customers can sign up for the $1,000 ScoreCard® Shopping Spree, earn triple points all weekend by signing up for the ScoreCard® Rewards Program, and register to win great prizes from The North Face, Michael Mauro, Crosman, or SofSole. Additionally, there will be activities throughout the store including product demonstrations by industry experts from Crocs, SofSole, Berkley and Keen among others.

Visit www.dickssportinggoodsonline.com/Grand_Open/Conway/ for more grand opening details and directions.

Dick's Sporting Goods is proud to be an active member of the communities they serve through the efforts of Community Marketing and Youth Sports programs. Dick Stack, founder of Dick's Sporting Goods, believed that sports play a vital role in teaching our children fundamental values like a strong work ethic, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. Stack understood that supporting the organizations that make youth sports possible is the best way to promote those values. Today, that legacy continues. Dick's Sporting Goods shares the same enthusiasm for and commitment to youth sports in our communities. This year, through its Community Youth Sports Program, Dick's Sporting Goods will donate thousands of coach's equipment kits to youth sports organizations across select markets – reaching over a million athletes.  For more information about Dick's Sporting Goods Community Marketing and the programs they offer, please contact Michelle Billardello at [email protected] or visit http://dickssportinggoods.sponsorport.com/.

* Limit one autograph per person.  Autographs are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and are only guaranteed to the first 250 people in the special appearance line on the day of the event only.  Times and appearances are subject to change without notice.

About Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.
Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. is an authentic full-line sporting goods retailer offering a broad assortment of brand name sporting goods equipment, apparel and footwear in a specialty store environment. The Company also owns and operates Golf Galaxy, LLC, a golf specialty retailer. As of October 17, 2011, the Company operated 463 Dick's Sporting Goods stores in 42 states, 81 Golf Galaxy stores in 30 states and e-commerce web sites and catalog operations for both Dick's Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy. Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc. news releases are available at http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/investors. The Company's web site is not part of this release.

SOURCE Dick's Sporting Goods