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about

A Legacy
Built on love

the story of Scott and sis

Scott and Evelyn (Sis) Names shared many loves: family, sports, competition, the outdoors, doing the right thing, hard work, giving back and, of course, each other.

Like all great love stories, Scott and Sis had humble beginnings. Lifelong residents of Puget Sound, they both attended Stadium High School and were married in 1933. Three children, the Depression and countless jobs later (including stints as a contractor, truck driver and bartender), Scott and Sis founded Scott’s Athletic Equipment store in Lakewood, Washington in 1957.

For more than 42 years, Scott and Sis, working side-by-side with their children (when they were old enough), served the Tacoma, WA community. Their shared love of health and fitness and their passion to support their community ensured Scott always carried the best sporting equipment in town. This ethos, along with their Depression-era frugality, helped Scott and Sis to have just enough savings to seize an opportunity in 1971.

The Love of community and generosity pays off

Scott and Sis’ love for sports and athletics drove them to be successful in their business investments.

I want the foundation to focus on Physical Fitness and benefit many people and not the individual. – Scott Names

Scott's Athletic Equipment

caring and community

While their business success changed the Names’ family, it never changed the family’s humility and commitment to serving their community. Scott and Sis remembered their humble beginnings and the struggles of life during the Depression. For them, philanthropy was a part of being human and always the right thing to do.

In 1996, Scott and Sis started the Names Family Foundation in order to formalize their innate desire to impact their family and their community. Combining their passions for philanthropy and athletics, Scott and Sis put the focus of their foundation on supporting non-profit organizations that emphasized health, wellness and physical education. Today, the influence of the Names Family Foundation can be seen, felt and experienced through the caring attention of their Executive Board.

a never-ending message

The Names Family Foundation exists to enrich the lives of every Puget Sound resident by providing grants to non-profit organizations that champion initiatives focused on sports, physical education, health and wellness. And, yet, this mission only touches the surface of what Scott and Sis hoped to achieve and what the entire Names family has committed itself to achieving.

For Scott and Sis, sports were a way for a person to transform himself or herself. To reach his or her fullest potential through the act of pushing individual limits and through the bonds of competition and comradery. Once transformed, a person could then impact his or her family. A family could impact its community. A community could impact a state. A state could impact a country. And a country could impact the entire world. Scott and Sis viewed sports as transformative – the Names Family Foundation is committed to keeping their initiatve alive now and forever.

Scott's Athletic Equipment

building a legacy

Scott and Sis were rare individuals. With the means to do whatever they wanted; they chose to quietly give back to the community, namely the Puget Sound region: a new aquatic center for a local university, a Community Center in Tacoma as well as, a playground in downtown Tacoma. Through their foundation’s grants, Scott and Sis enriched the lives of countless Washingtonians and beyond by creating spaces where young and old alike could enhance their health and wellness.

all recipients

our board

The Names Family Foundation board promotes health and wellness by supporting physical education and athletics. Through these actions, it not only helps to impact our community, it keeps alive Scott and Sis’ legacy of sports, love, family and generosity.

Paula Larkin

Paula Larkin

Trustee

Kim Hegardt

Kim Hegardt

President

Rick Names

Richard (Rick) Names

Vice President

Kappy Names

Kappy Names

Trustee

Monica Names King

Monica Names King

Secretary

Erin Shagren

erin shagren

Treasurer

make an impact

Like Scott and Sis, you can fundamentally change our community – no matter your idea or how humble your beginnings. Whether you want to build a playground or promote health and fitness or physical education, you can make a difference for our community and those in need. Apply for a grant today.

how to apply