MEDIA ADVISORY                                                    

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      

CONTACT:  Bob De Witt, Boy Scouts  (412) 325-7992

WHO:  Boy Scouts of America, Greater Pittsburgh Council.

WHAT: The Council’s Board of Directors will salute Cub Scout Ryan Cenk of Richland Twp., the Boy Scouts’ Top Popcorn Salesman in the U.S in 2004. Ryan, who is 10 years old, sold 1,032 cases of popcorn worth $25,006, the highest total in the 22-year history of the sale nationwide. The previous record was about $20,000. All told, some 9,000 Scouts in the Greater Pittsburgh Council sold 22,107 cases of popcorn, worth $1.37 million. Approximately $970,000 will benefit local Scouts.

WHEN: Tuesday, February 8, 2005, noon.

WHERE: Flag Plaza, 1275 Bedford Avenue, next to Mellon Arena. Parking available on-site.

Editor’s note: Once you meet Ryan you will have a sense of why he is such a great salesman. He is polite, asks a lot of questions and is very sincere. According to his uncle Bob, his persistence is his greatest asset. Ryan set two goals; one he has achieved—to be the nation’s number one popcorn salesman. The other is to meet George W. Bush.

The Greater Pittsburgh Council, Boy Scouts of America 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.