Harrisburg, U.S.A. - Pennsylvania student participants and the Pennsylvania Game Commission came away from the recent National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) tournament with some awards and high honors. The event, which took place May 11 and 12, in Louisville, Kentucky, was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest archery tournament with 7,804 competitors from 38 states.

“More than 70 students from Pennsylvania made the trek to compete in the tournament, including teams from New Castle Christian Academy, Williams Valley High School and Halifax High School,” said Samantha Pedder, Game Commission outreach coordinator, who oversees NASP in Pennsylvania.”Two students placed in the top 10 in their respective divisions, and almost all shooters posted higher scores at the nationals than at the state tournament!”

Among those who finished in the top ten were Garrett Richardson, from New Castle Christian Academy, who placed third in the fourth grade male division with a score of 279 out of a possible 300. Richardson placed first in this division at the Pennsylvania state tournament with a score of 255.

Katelyn Donely, a tenth grader from Williams Valley High School, placed sixth in the High School Female Division with a score of 289 out of a possible 300. Donely tied for fifth, but finished second in a shoot-off round.  She was first in the same division in the Pennsylvania state tournament, with a score of 279.

The Game Commission received recognition at the NASP Coordinator’s Conference, which occurred before the tournament, for reaching the milestone of having 100 schools enrolled in NASP. The Game Commission also was recognized for achieving the greatest percentage increase in school enrollments over the past year from among 47 states and five Canadian provinces that offer NASP.

The World NASP Tournament will occur on Oct. 4-6, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, and any NASP participating school in Pennsylvania is invited to send a team.

In 2010, the Game Commission began coordinating Pennsylvania’s NASP, which helps school districts inPennsylvania meet physical education curriculum requirements of the state Department of Education, while at the same time introducing them to the world of competitive archery. In 2011, about 350 students from nearly a dozen school districts participated in the state competition, which was volunteer-run at the time.

Earlier this year, on March 9, nearly 500 students from 23 schools competed at the NASP State Tournament held by the Pennsylvania Game Commission at the Penn State Multi-Sport Facility inUniversity Park, Centre County.
Studies conducted by the national NASP organization demonstrate that NASP is a great introduction to the sport of archery, and that many students choose to pursue the sport outside of school.

“NASP fosters an interest in archery for these students, and we hope that the excitement that competitions build will cause students to want to continue to shoot and expand their archery experience,” Pedder said. “We want to encourage them to keep shooting and to consider taking the next steps toward 3-D archery tournaments and, eventually, bow hunting, which are natural avenues for archers to hone and maintain their skills.”

Started in Kentucky, in 2002, NASP has spread throughout the United States, and now is reaching around the world. At the end of the 2011-12 school year, nine million students had gone through NASP lessons in 9,000 schools throughout 47 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, Australia, New Zealand  and South Africa. Tournaments are held at the state, national and international levels.

NASP is a joint venture that partners with state education and wildlife management agencies and archery equipment manufacturers and organizations to promote student education, physical education and participation in the lifelong sport of archery. The program’s focus is to provide international-style archery training in physical education classes in grades four through 12.

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The Tostitos brand recently announced plans to kick off the college football bowl game season by hosting one of the most exciting social occasions of 2011 – the “Tostitos Fiesta in the Square.” This one-of-a-kind football-themed “party with a purpose” will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters and take place in the heart of New York City from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 16, 2011.

The celebration will convert the Times Square Military Island into a regulation-size college football end zone where fans will help the Tostitos brand set a new Guinness World Records title for the most people to kick successful American football field goals in six hours. As part of the event, the Tostitos brand will donate $100,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

If a new Guinness World Records title is set, the Tostitos brand will double that amount for a total donation of $200,000. Highlights from the event will be shared during the nationwide broadcast of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on ESPN on January 2, 2012. Tostitos, a flagship brand of PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, has sponsored the Fiesta Bowl for the past 17 years.

Former college and pro football greats, including Jim Kelly, Rodney Peete, Antonio Pierce, Martin and Bill Gramatica, and Eddie George, will be on hand to offer tips and coach fans as they take turns attempting successful field goal kicks.

Joining the players will be multi-platinum recording artist, television personality and Big Brother Nick Lachey, who will serve as the official host for the Tostitos Fiesta in the Square, rallying fans throughout New York City and beyond to join the fun and contribute to the World-Record cause.

Also in attendance will be “Bigs” and “Littles” from the Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City who will join the celebration and have their shot at contributing to the potentially record-setting achievement. ”The Tostitos brand believes in being social and making any occasion a party, and this time we’re partying for a purpose by partnering with an organization that shares our passion for bringing people together,” said Justin Lambeth, vice president, marketing, Tostitos.

“Through the Tostitos Fiesta in the Square, we are celebrating mentorship and showcasing the link between great social skills and successful mentoring relationships with the hope that many of the participants will be moved to get involved with Big Brother Big Sisters.” During the Tostitos Fiesta in the Square, attendees can celebrate with one another, play interactive football-themed games together and enjoy Tostitos tortilla chips and other delicious snacks.

Fans across the country who are unable to join the party in Times Square can also be a part of the action and make donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters by visiting www.facebook.com/tostitos or www.bbbs.org/tostitos between Dec. 16, 2011 and Jan. 1, 2012. The Tostitos brand will match consumer donations made from Dec. 16, 2011 through Jan. 1, 2012, up to a maximum of $25,000.

The complete list of participating football greats includes:

• Jim Kelly – Inducted into the University of Miami Hall of Fame in 1992. Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990-1993, and in his first year of eligibility (2002), was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Rodney Peete – First player ever from University of Southern California to win the Johnny Unitas Award as the nation’s best senior quarterback. He played in the NFL for 16 years with six different teams.

• Antonio Pierce – As a standout linebacker, Pierce played college football for the University of Arizona. During his nine-year NFL career, Pierce played in 137 regular-season games and seven playoff games. In 2007, he led the New York Giants’ defense as part of an upset win over the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. He currently serves as an analyst with ESPN.

• Eddie George – George was awarded a Heisman Trophy at Ohio State University in 1995 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011. He played in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans and spent his final season with the Dallas Cowboys.

• Bill and Martin Gramatica – These two standout sibling kickers have been members of several NFL teams. Martin played at Kansas State, where he set the single-season school record with 135 points, earning him the nickname “Automatica.” Bill played for Florida State University and the University of South Florida. During his NFL career, he made 37 of 48 field goal attempts and 60 of 61 extra point attempts.

The Tostitos brand has been a longtime supporter of college football, including 17 years as the title sponsor of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The Tostitos Fiesta in the Square event builds upon a long-standing partnership between PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay division and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Since 2005, PepsiCo has contributed more than $500,000 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters by sponsoring dozens of local “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” fundraising events in Dallas and other cities across the country, including Chicago,Houston, Los Angeles and New York.

“We are excited to build our relationship with PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay division through the Tostitos brand and this unique fundraising party in New York City,” said John Avondolio, Big Brothers Big Sisters Vice President of Marketing & Communications. “The Fiesta in Times Square event will be a fun and meaningful experience for our mentoring matches and families.

It will also help to raise critical funds that support our programs and provide more children with long-term, quality mentoring relationships that help them achieve educational success, avoid risky behaviors and have greater confidence and improved relationships.”

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/BigBrothersBigSisters

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