Staples Opens Second Olympics Team USA Shop

The United States Olympic Committee's newest Team USA Shop celebrated its grand opening with an official "ribbon shredding" ceremony at the U.S. Olympic Traning Center in Chula Vista, Calif. This is the second physical retail location for Team USA Shop—the other is located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Staples is helping the USOC celebrate the store's opening with a donation of up to $15,000 to the "Raise Our Flag" campaign, a program that allows supporters to purchase stitches in the U.S. flag that will accompany the U.S. Olympic Team at this summer's London 2012 Games. Unlike athletes from other countries, U.S. Olympic athletes receive no government funding, making this program an essential tool for funding the team and giving fans a way to become a part of the "Team Behind the Team."

Additionally, proceeds from Team USA Shop sales go directly to supporting U.S. athletes, and Staples Promotional Products, the largest promotional product distributor in North America and a business division of Staples Advantage, manages both retail locations as well as TeamUSAShop.com for the USOC, which is proud to accept only Visa for the purchase of all official Team USA merchandise. Staples Promotional Products also manages co-branded Olympic campaigns for more than 70 percent of all domestic and worldwide sponsors of the USOC.

"Staples is committed to helping the USOC raise funds for U.S. athletes not only through our donation to Raise Our Flag and our work with USOC sponsors, but primarily through the management of Team USA Shops," said Staples Promotional Products vice president and general manager Rich Witaszak. "As U.S. athletes prepare for London and beyond, we'll continue to provide gold-medal service at the Team USA Shops and to USOC sponsors."

Beginning at 1:45 p.m., London 2012 U.S. Olympic BMX qualifier Arielle Martin will join USOC CEO Scott Blackmun and Witaszak for a "ribbon-shredding" ceremony to open the new Team USA Shop and kick-off a Foursquare check-in campaign which will help drive part of the $15,000 donation from Staples.