Eastern Maine Sports

PORTLAND, Maine – Natalie Beaudoin, basketball player from Lewiston wanted to help her home city after the mass shooting when she designed “We Are Lew1ston” T-shirts. A year later, Beaudoin and two other Maine athletes, Amber Bretton and Kaylyn Bourque teamed up to sign a name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership with the Northeast Sports Card Expo to awareness and funds for the One Lewiston Resiliency Fund. The two-day sports card show raised funds for the nonprofit. The three athletes along with Pliable Marketing donated $225 to the cause.

Beaudoin is also one of many Pliable athletes who are currently promoting the sale of the new “STRONGER TOGETHER” T-shirts design by Pliable Marketing and Aroma Joe’s to highlight the importance of community. The shirts are available online at PliableMarketing.com/store. Now through December 31, 2024, all proceeds from the T-shirts, tank tops and sweatshirts will benefit the One Lewiston Resiliency Fund.

While Beaudoin couldn’t attend the event in person because of her basketball commitments at the University of Vermont, she used social media to promote the event.

Bretton and Bourque, learned about the event and signed NIL partnerships with the Northeast Sports Card Expo to help with the fundraising.

Pictured left to right: Greg Glynn, Founder & CEO of Pliable; Kyle Hersey, co-owner of Aroma Joe’s locations in Augusta, Maine; Amber Bretton, softball player at the University of Connecticut; Tom Pepdjonovic, co-owner of Northeast Sports Card Expo, and George Pepdjonovic, co-owner of Northeast Sports Card Expo take a photo on Sunday, October 20 after the event in Portland.

Each of the three female athletes have signed with Pliable Marketing, a Maine-based marketing company that helps high school, college and professional athletes with athlete branding, including NIL representation. The athletes are also members of Pliable’s Mission E50, an initiative designed to increase the popularity of women’s sports.

Kaylyn Bourque attended the event for a meet and greet and autograph session on Oct. 19. Amber Bretton was part of the festivities on Sunday, Oct. 20, which included a meet and greet and autographs. Both athletes also provided their Pliable trading cards to attendees and encouraged people to participate in the Pliable raffle. The basket included prize items from Maine-based companies, Aroma Joe’s, Hilltop Boilers and Mainely Veterinary Dentistry. Beaudoin also used her social media to share the event and encouraged people to attend or donate to the cause.

“This event was a great way for Natalie, Amber and Kaylyn to use their name, image and likeness to support an event and a cause that is very important to them. As Mainers, they wanted to find a way to give back to the city of Lewiston and surrounding communities after the tragedy last year, so this was a very timely opportunity. They did a great job promoting the event, raising money and spreading positivity. So many young children came up to the table who wanted to grow up and play college sports, just like them,” said Greg Glynn, founder & CEO of Pliable Marketing.

Beaudoin, 18 is a first year on the women’s basketball team at the University of Vermont. This was her second NIL partnership with Northeast Sports Cards Expo. She is also community ambassador for Aroma Joe’s of Maine and New Hampshire.

“Natalie showed her passion for her community in Lewiston last year and it’s why we wanted to work with her. Working together on the new T-shirt design, we can help support her efforts. She has set the bar high for our other community ambassadors and we are so proud of her, and the positive impact that all our community ambassadors are making in their communities and beyond. We were proud to support this event this year and we’re already making plans to support it again in April. We are also excited to see how many shirts we can sell by the end of the year,” said Crystal Brown, Community Marketing Manager for Aroma Joe’s Development Office of Maine and New Hampshire.

Bretton, 18, is a first year on the softball team at the University of Connecticut, who in addition to the Northeast Sports Card Expo, has partnerships with Aroma Joe’s Development Office in Connecticut, and Medalist, a female-focused skin care company.

Bourque, 18 is a senior at Kents Hill School and has committed to play ice hockey and lacrosse at Nichols college in the fall.

Bourque’s sister, Alyssa is also a community ambassador for Aroma Joe’s Development Office of Maine and New Hampshire. She is part of the effort by Pliable Marketing and Aroma Joe’s to sell “STRONGER TOGETHER” T-shirts to raise funds for the One Lewiston Resiliency Fund. Bourque, is a member of the track & field team at the University of Vermont and was eager to help continue to support Natalie and her home city of Lewiston at the one year after the tragic mass shooting.

Pictured left to right: Natalie Beaudoin, women’s basketball player at the University of Vermont with Alyssa Bourque, member of the track and field team at the University of Vermont.

Additional Pliable athletes, including Jazmin Johnson and Jace Negley will continue to raise awareness and funds for the One Lewiston Resiliency fund, including at a sports card show at Slugger’s training facility on Saturday from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. at 60 Acme Rd. in Brewer.