Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford Unleashes His Inner Artist To Benefit Detroit Area Youth Center

GREENSBORO, N.C., Feb. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Throwing footballs in lieu of painting with a brush, Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford tapped into his inner artist to create five, six-foot canvas paintings to benefit a Detroit youth center. Stafford teamed up with Unifi, Inc.'s (NYSE: UFI) REPREVE®, a leading recycled fiber brand, to create and auction the five paintings with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Sports, Academics, Youth (S.A.Y.) Detroit Play Center.  S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park, offers athletic and academic programs to Detroit's youth.

Opting out of using a traditional paintbrush, Stafford dipped 12 footballs in paint and threw them at four-feet wide by six-feet tall REPREVE-based canvases made from 35 recycled plastic bottles to create five original paintings. Starting today, an auction of all five one-of-a-kind paintings are open for bidding on eBay for seven days, closing Tuesday, March 1.

"I value many lessons learned playing sports in my youth, and rebuilding this center provides an opportunity for Detroit's youth to learn through the same process. It's been rewarding to help support the continued improvement of the S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center," stated Stafford. "The experience of creating these paintings is one that I'll never forget. Each canvas is made from recycled plastic bottles and serves as a reminder of how recycling can contribute to protecting our environment for future generations to enjoy."

REPREVE is a fiber made from recycled materials, such as plastic bottles, and is used in some of the world's favorite brands. REPREVE is the official recycling and sustainability partner of the Detroit Lions, and is working together with the franchise to educate fans about the importance of recycling and showcasing the quality consumer products created from transformed plastic bottles. During the past two seasons, Lions fans have recycled 96,425 plastic bottles in-stadium.

"When REPREVE learned about Stafford's initiative to transform the play center, we immediately wanted to help," said Roger Berrier, president and chief operating officer of Unifi, Inc. "Auctioning the paintings allows anyone who is interested to not only participate in the cause but to own a piece of the project."

To find out more on S.A.Y Detroit Play Center and to watch clips of Stafford creating the masterpieces visit, http://www.paintby9.com. For more information on REPREVE, please visit www.REPREVE.com, or visit the REPREVE Facebook page www.facebook.com/REPREVE and follow the brand on Twitter and Instagram.

About REPREVE:
REPREVE® is Unifi, Inc.'s (NYSE: UFI) flagship brand of recycled fibers, made from recycled materials, including plastic bottles. REPREVE can be found in products ranging from apparel and hosiery to automotive and industrial applications, and is used by some of the world's leading brands, including Patagonia, Haggar, Quiksilver and Ford. REPREVE's #TurnItGreen initiative is designed to encourage recycling and raise awareness among consumers that recycled bottles can be turned into cool products they use every day. For more information about REPREVE, visit www.REPREVE.com; like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

REPREVE and #TurnItGreen are trademarks of Unifi, Inc.

About Unifi:
Unifi, Inc. is a multi-national manufacturing company that produces and sells textured and other processed yarns designed to meet customer specifications, and premier value-added ("PVA") yarns with enhanced performance characteristics. Unifi maintains one of the textile industry's most comprehensive polyester and nylon product offerings. Unifi enhances demand for its products, and helps others in creating a more effective textile industry supply chain, through the development and introduction of branded yarns that provide unique performance, comfort and aesthetic advantages. In addition to its flagship REPREVE® products – a family of eco-friendly yarns made from recycled materials – key Unifi brands include: SORBTEK®, REFLEXX®, AIO® – all-in-one performance yarns, SATURA®, AUGUSTA®, A.M.Y.®, MYNX® UV and MICROVISTA®. Unifi's yarns are readily found in the products of major brands in the apparel, hosiery, automotive, home furnishings, industrial and other end-use markets. For more information about Unifi, visit www.unifi.com; to learn more about REPREVE®, visit www.REPREVE.com.

About The Detroit Lions:
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit. The team located to Detroit in 1934 and is the National Football League's fifth oldest franchise. The Detroit Lions most recently made the NFL playoffs in 2014, when they finished with a 11-5 record. In addition to professional football, the Detroit Lions have a visible and active community relations role in the Detroit area. With a focus on health and wellness and community revitalization, the Lions have contributed $7.2 million through philanthropic efforts since 1991. For more information, please visit http://www.detroitlions.com.

About S.A.Y. Detroit:
S.A.Y. Detroit, formed in February 2006, is a fully formed 501(c) (3) charity aimed at improving the lives of the neediest citizens, through shelter, food, medical care, volunteer efforts and education. It serves as the umbrella for ongoing major projects including A Time to Help, S.A.Y. Detroit Family Health Clinic, and Working Homes/Working Families, and funds dozens of projects for Detroit-area Agencies.   To learn more about S.A.Y. Detroit, click here. To learn more about S.A.Y. Detroit, and S.A.Y. Detroit Rec Center visit http://mitchalbomcharities.org/say-detroit.

Video - https://youtu.be/G1qrYh5Zuqg
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160223/336304

SOURCE Unifi, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.unifi.com