FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                          NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:  Bob De Witt, Boy Scouts
                     office: 412-325-7992  cell: 412-913-2846

RECORD NUMBER OF PITTSBURGH SCOUTS GEAR UP FOR 2005 JAMBOREE

(July 18, 2005 – Pittsburgh, PA)  The largest-ever group of Boy Scouts from the Pittsburgh region is getting ready for the 2005 National Scout Jamboree, held near Fredericksburg, Virginia, from Mon. July 25 to Wed. August 3.  Hauling several tons of gear on eight chartered buses, 288 local Boy Scouts and 32 adults will be living in a tent city at the Jamboree, part of a group of nearly 40,000 Scouts and adult leaders from across the U.S. and from other countries.

The Boy Scouts from the Greater Pittsburgh Council will depart from Mellon Arena on Sunday, July 24 at 4 am for Fort A.P. Hill, a U.S. Army facility.  The Jamboree, which is held every four years at the site, will use approximately 3,000 acres of the 76,000 acres.

The Jamboree program features activities such as archery, trap shooting, a bikathlon, scuba diving, kayaking, swimming, and of course, cooking and camping.   Dignitaries and celebrities are expected to attend, including President George W. Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, balloonist Steve Fossett and other modern-day explorers.

Among the 17,000 tents at the Jamboree will be important community services found in any city, including a hospital, post office, food warehouses, trading posts, a fire department, security force, a bus system, and a daily newspaper.

Boy Scouts of America, Greater Pittsburgh Council serves more than 48,000 youth each year across southwestern Pennsylvania, including Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, Washington and parts of Westmoreland and Fayette counties.  The Council’s mission is to help instill values in young people by building the cornerstone of their character in ethics, morality and commitment, while preparing them for life’s challenges.