January 25, 2023
Page 5
Trail Blazers Mourn the Passing
of Founding Broadcaster
Black Business Association
of Oregon Hire First
Communications Director
Sommer Martin
joins BBAO
Bill Schonely, the longtime Portland Trail Blazers broadcaster who coined the phrase “Rip City” died
on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. He was 93. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)
Bill Schonely
passes away at
the age of 93
Bill Schonely was born in Nor-
ristown, Pennsylvania, the first-
born child of Walter and Juanita
Schonely. He served in the Marine
Corps, where he hosted a sports
show for Armed Forces Radio
overseas. Schonely then contin-
ued his broadcast career in Seat-
tle with radio station KVI and as
the voice of the Seattle Totems in
the Western Hockey League. His
wide-ranging sports broadcasting
experience also included Uni-
versity of Washington football,
Seattle Angels baseball, the Oak-
land Seals in the National Hock-
ey League and Major League
Baseball’s Seattle Pilots before
joining the Trail Blazers. Team
founder Harry Glickman hired
Schonely as the sixth employee
in the organization’s history and
quickly tasked him with assem-
bling a radio network to introduce
Oregonians to the Trail Blazers
organization. With a gift for cre-
ative enthusiasm, he coined many
iconic catchphrases during his
time with the team, none greater
than “Rip City”, now synonymous
with the team and the city of Port-
land. Serving as the team’s play-
by-play voice for nearly 30 years,
he called more than 2,500 games
including the team’s incredible
championship run in 1977 and
the exciting runs throughout the
1990s. Schonely maintained a
streak of calling games through-
out his 30-year run that was only
interrupted in 1982-83 when he
stepped away to recover from
heart bypass surgery.
In 1999, Schonely was induct-
ed into the Oregon Sports Hall
of Fame for broadcasting and in
2012, he was awarded the Curt
Gowdy Media Award from the
Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame for his contribu-
tions to the game as an outstand-
ing broadcaster. Schonely deeply
valued his relationships within
the community, and beginning in
2003, he served as a Trail Blaz-
ers Ambassador, supporting the
team’s outreach mission while
maintaining connections with the
Rip City community and appear-
ing on various radio and televi-
sion broadcasts. He retired from
the organization at the conclusion
of the 2021-22 NBA season after
more than 50 years with the Trail
Blazers. “The Mayor of Rip City”
supported numerous charitable
causes, notably the American
Heart Association and the Prov-
idence Child Center, which in
2009 established the “Bill’s Kids
Fund” to honor his long standing
dedication to and compassion for
the medically fragile children who
call the center home. Schonely’s
wife of 31 years, Dottie Schonely,
was by his side when he passed.
“We are deeply saddened to hear
of the passing of Trail Blazers leg-
endary broadcaster Bill Schone-
ly,” said Dewayne Hankins, Pres-
ident of Business Operations for
the Trail Blazers. “Our hearts go
out to his wife, Dottie, and the en-
tire Schonely family during this
difficult time. Bill was a warm, en-
gaging and sharp person – always
up for a joke, a keen observation
or a kind remark. His mark on the
organization, the state of Oregon
and all of sports broadcasting will
be felt for generations.
No one loved Rip City more
than Bill did and we are all for-
ever grateful for his contributions
to the community.” “The Schonz
was a cornerstone of the organi-
zation since Day 1. He was the
ultimate Trail Blazer – the voice
of the Trail Blazers,” said Trail
Blazers Alumni Ambassador Ter-
ry Porter. “He was someone that
Blazers fans grew up listening to
for many, many generations. His
voice will be missed, his presence
will be missed, but his legacy will
not be forgotten. It’s intertwined
with every part of this organiza-
tion.” In Schonely’s honor, there
will be a private service and pub-
lic celebration of life. Details
will be made available at a later
date. In lieu of flowers, dona-
tions are requested to be made to
Providence Child Center and the
American Heart Association in
honor of Bill.
The Black Business Associa-
tion of Oregon (BBAO) is excited
to announce Sommer Martin as
its first Communications Direc-
tor. She brings to the BBAO ex-
tensive knowledge of non-profit,
transportation, economic devel-
opment, strategic communica-
tions, and video production.
Previously, Sommer was the
Director of Downtown Market-
ing for the Portland Business
Alliance, where she developed
and managed seasonal market-
ing campaigns designed to pro-
mote Downtown attractions,
businesses, amenities, events,
and experiences within the City
of Portland's designated market
area. Sommer has a BS in Mass
Communications from Tennes-
see State University in Nashville,
Tennessee, and an MS in Multi-
media Journalism from the Uni-
versity of Oregon.
"This is such an exciting time
to be a Black business owner in
Oregon," says Martin. "I have a
purpose here, and I will use my
experience and the backing of the
BBAO Executive Director, board
members, partners, and investors
Sommer Martin
to create a solid communications
plan connecting critical business
information to Black-owned busi-
nesses in every corner of the state."
"We are fortunate to have
Sommer as a part of the BBAO
team," says Lance Randall, Exec-
utive Director of the BBAO. "Her
educational background, commu-
nications experience, knowledge
of strategic planning, and deep
roots in the region make her the
ideal person to head our commu-
nications division."
The Black Business Associ-
ation of Oregon (BBAO) is an
economic development organiza-
tion striving to achieve economic
equity that is sustainable and last-
ing for Black-owned businesses
in Oregon.
To learn more about the Black
Business Association of Oregon,
go to https://bbaoregon.org/.
Portland Community College
Passed a $450M bond, November 2022
LET’S PARTNER
TOGETHER
Subcontractor and Vendor Outreach
Thursday, February 9, 2023
4:30–6:30pm
PCC Rock Creek Campus
Event Center | Building 9
17705 NW Springville Rd
Portland, OR 97229
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
7:30–9:30am
PCC Southeast Campus
Community Hall
2305 SE 82nd Ave
Portland, OR 97216
Two options for events to fit your schedule, same format for both
Scan the QR code to
access documents
For event questions:
Amy James Neel
Planning & Capital Construction
amy.jamesneel@pcc.edu