DICK'S Sporting Goods Announces Grand Opening Celebration at Westridge Center in Salinas, CA

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DICK'S Sporting Goods (NYSE: DKS), the largest U.S. based full-line sporting goods retailer, invites the community of Salinas to their three-day grand opening weekend. The store will open its doors on Wednesday, October 24 and begin the celebration with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 26 at 8:00 a.m. at the retailer's new location at Westridge Center, 1223 N. Davis Road. Special extended store hours will also be in effect for Friday (8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.), Saturday (8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.) and Sunday (9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.)

DICK'S Sporting Goods also has a variety of special athlete appearances and giveaways scheduled to celebrate the grand opening festivities.

Saturday's schedule will feature a special appearance by former San Francisco 49ers receiver Dwight Clark from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.*  A former wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, Clark was a two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time Pro Bowler.  Many sports fans may recall Clark from "The Catch," his memorable touchdown in the 1981 NFC Playoffs against the Dallas Cowboys.

On Sunday, former Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy will be in store meeting and greeting customers from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.** Kennedy played 11 seasons as an offensive lineman, spending the majority of that time with the Oakland Raiders.  The ninth overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, he was a three-time Pro Bowl selection with the Raiders and was a key member of their 2002 Super Bowl team.

Additionally on Sunday, there will be a Mystery Gift Card Giveaway for the first 100 adults in line, who will receive unmarked DICK'S Sporting Goods gift cards in varying denominations from $5 to $500, with one person winning the $500 card. (Limit one per person and must be 18 years or older.)

Throughout the weekend, customers will be able to enter for the chance to win an Epic A35T Treadmill and a Nishiki Kinzua29 Limited Edition bicycle. There will also be opportunities for customers to meet with certified bike and lodge technicians and PGA/LPGA professionals, as well as additional activities throughout the store.  More details on all promotions are available at the store location.  

"We look forward to opening our new DICK'S Sporting Goods store in Salinas and becoming part of the community," said Lauren Hobart, DICK'S Sporting Goods Chief Marketing Officer.  "We want to serve athletes of all ages in Salinas by providing the equipment they need to help them excel."

The Salinas location will be the retailer's 26th store in the state of California and its 511th nationwide.

Visit http://www.dickssportinggoodsonline.com/Grand_Open/Salinas/ for more grand opening details and directions.

* Beginning at 8:00am local time, 250 wristbands will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the store on the day of event only.  Limit one wristband and one autograph per person.  Fans must have a wristband and must be in the Special Appearance line by 1:00PM to receive an autograph.  Times and appearances are subject to change without notice. See store for details.

** Beginning at 9:00am local time, 250 wristbands will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the store on the day of event only.  Limit one wristband and one autograph per person.  Fans must have a wristband and must be in the Special Appearance line by 11:30AM to receive an autograph.  Times and appearances are subject to change without notice. See store for details.

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 September 21, 2012, the Company operated 500 DICK'S Sporting Goods stores in 44 states, 81 Golf Galaxy stores in 30 states and eCommerce websites and catalog operations for 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 website is not part of this release.

SOURCE DICK'S Sporting Goods