CONTENTS
2005 Summer Picnic
Summer in Review
Washington County Picnic
Match Happenings
Photo Gallery

Summer Picnic Makes for Big Fun!
After so many Bigs and Littles had a fun-filled summer the last few months, it was time for something else…even more fun! On Saturday, July 23, more than 100 Bigs, Littles and BBBS staff gathered at the Boy Scout’s Camp Guyastaya in Sharpsburg for the annual BBBS Big/Little Summer Picnic.

Everyone filled up on delicious seasonal fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans and potato salad. Matches were treated to an afternoon of volleyball, basketball, and camp crafts. When it was time to cool off from the heat, everyone headed to the swimming pool. The beautiful wooded setting offered an added bonus of a nature trail that ended at a waterfall, but with the recent lack of rain, it turned out to be more of a water trickle! Nevertheless, it was a nice change of scenery for all.

The afternoon wound down with some wacky relay races that involved such summertime favorites as water balloons and water soaked sponges! The ever popular door prize announcements capped off another successful BBBS picnic! Check out pics from the event.

We want to thank the following companies and organizations for their generous donations: The Pittsburgh Pirates, Dave & Busters Restaurant, Pittsburgh Public Theater, the Kiwanis Club of East Liberty, The Mall of Robinson, Three Rivers Paintball, the Carnegie Museum of Art, National Amusements, Dingbats Restaurant, Abate Restaurant, UPMC, Fun Fore All, Wildwoods Highlands, Buca di Beppo Restaurant, Sea Base Family Fun Center, and Willow Miniature Golf and Ice Cream Shoppe.

BBBS Summer In Review
It may have been a hot, lazy summer, but the doldrums did not set in at BBBS where it was a busy ticket season:

350 Bigs, Littles and families were able to take in a Pirate baseball game or two over the course of the summer! They were there to cheer on the wins, commiserate at the losses and some even got to see spectacular fireworks as well!  Congratulations to BB Mike Harm's LB Anthony for catching a foul ball at the July 19th game! "Give that boy a contract!"  Thank you to Kevin McClatchy, Tickets for Kids and all the generous individual donors who provided so many of us with some great summer fun!

125 matches were able to attend the two preseason Steelers games during the past several weeks!  Thanks to all the individual donors who year-after-year provide our Matches with the opportunity to experience Steeler-mania and see their favorite sports stars in person.

20 Matches were able to see the Riverhounds soccer team in their new facility at Falconi Field in Washington, PA.

20 Matches watched the unique Minor League Baseball team, the Washington Wild Things, and take part in all the wacky events they include in all their games!

10 Matches were able to attend the musical production of Sound of Music. Thank you Tickets For Kids!

20 Matches were able to see the premiere production of Dr. DoLittle.  Thank you Kelly Circle!

20 Matches were able to see the premiere of the movie, The Perfect Man.

10 Matches were able to see the premiere of the movie, STEALTH.

3 Matches were able see Destiny's Child in concert!  Thank you Ticketmaster!

3 Matches were able to see Sarah McLachlan in concert! 

3 Matches were able to take in the excitement of the BassMaster's Classic Final weigh-in at Mellon Arena!  Thank you Ticketmaster!  

Major League Baseball Umpire Provides Incredible Opportunity!
On Saturday July 9, one lucky BBBS match was the recipient of a generous offer from Major League Umpire Marvin Hudson. Marvin Hudson believes in the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters so much that he reaches out to Bigs and Littles at every Saturday game he works around the country. 
On July 9, one lucky BBBS match was the recipient of his generous "Tickets For Two" offer to the Pirates vs. New York Mets game. BB Sebastian Chaskielburg and LB Brandon arrived an hour early to PNC Park and were able to meet Marvin before the game to chat a bit, as well as take some photos. They received a signed official Major League baseball and then went to their seats to watch the Pirates win the exciting 11-4 game, where a grand slam brought the Pirates an exciting victory! It was truly a unique and memorable experience for them both. To learn more about Marvin Hudson's initiative check out the site www.BLUEforKids.com

Washington County Summer Picnic & Swim Party a Blast!
With more than 50 Bigs and Littles in attendance, the Second Annual Washington County Summer Picnic & Swim Party was a big success. With the weather being so hot, nearly everyone jumped in the pool at some point. Those Bigs and Littles with a more competitive spirit chose to play pick-up games of basketball and volleyball. A number of Matches baked a variety of goodies for all to share. If that wasn’t enough, the three-hour buffet with an unlimited supply of hamburgers and hotdogs filled up the rest of their stomachs. A big thanks to Festival Foods for generously donating a enormous supply of baked goods!

Match Happenings
Oh, what a summer it was! These are some of the interesting summer activities from our Bigs and Littles:

• LB JoReese attended the Gemini Children's Theater summer camp where he worked with other children to write and stage a production of their own play. The play was entitled Land of the Waffles! He enjoyed the experience so much, he is eager to audition for one of the theater's upcoming productions! Thank you Tickets for Kids!  

• BB Fred Rueter with LB Emanuel and BS Sabrina Shaner with LS Janiece participated in the Build-A-Bike program. Each of the Littles is now the proud owner of a bicycle! 

• BS Sabrina Shaner and LS Janiece also took on the challenge of climbing the steps in the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt, all 37 floors! This is a great idea for others to try. Create your own fitness challenge and see how many floors you can climb!

• BS April Casey and LS Gabrielle stayed closer to home and visited April’s parent's cabin at Twelve Mile Island in Hamarville.  
  
  
• BS Soni Bickmore made her LS Jessie's summer by taking her to see the Kenny Chesney concert at Heinz Field!
  
• BB Doug Baker involved his LB Archie in swimming lessons at the Downtown YMCA in an effort to refine his skills, boost his confidence in the deep end, and perhaps most importantly, show him what can be accomplished if you follow through with a plan. They also did some biking at Lake Arthur, Morraine State Park and Highland Park.

• Lights, Camera, Action! BS Lady Cumpiano and LB Vince made a TV commercial for PPG about their match and BBBS volunteering. They also appeared in an ad in Pittsburgh Magazine!  
  
  
• BS Amy Nelson was recently married. She was happy to share her special day with LS Dana who attended with her mother.  
  
  
• BS Mary Fine and LS Shalyce  went on a  family vacation to Kitty Hawk. They did a lot of  fun and interesting things including deep sea fishing, where they caught a shark!

Click to see New Matches and Match Anniversaries for the month of August!

Wednesday, September 7, 5:30 p.m.  "Come Share a Little Magic" Informational Tour @ BBBS Offices in East Liberty. The best way for someone to learn more about one-to-one mentoring programs is to attend this one-hour informational tour. Contact Tom Wiese for more information at twiese@bbbspgh.org.

Friday, September 23, 8:30 a.m.  "Come Share a Little Magic" Informational Tour @ BBBS Offices in East Liberty.

See photos from some of our most recent match activities including the Summer Picnics, and the Steelers Training Camp Visit.
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