Elk County- The St. Marys Area United Way Board President Doug Gaffey presented a $11,500 grant to Gregg Bennett, Scout Executive with the Bucktail Council Boy Scouts of America (BSA). This grant award was as a result of the United Way’s 2022 campaign. Gregg Bennett, Scout Executive, reports that the funding will be used to further the camping program at Camp Mountain Run where hundreds of youth attend each year. The United Way funding will be used to train and hire a portion of the camp staff for summer camp, support the maintenance cost for Camp Mountain Run, and purchase program materials.

Scouts BSA is designed for boys and girls ages 11-18, Scouts learn responsible citizenship, character development and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities and educational programs. For over 100 years, Scouting programs have instilled in youth the values found in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Today, these values are just as relevant in helping youth grow to their full potential as they were in 1910. Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives.

The Boy Scouts are one of the many partnering organizations that have sought grant money from the St. Marys Area United Way. Over the next couple of weeks, the United Way will continue to notify the public of all the grant recipients and award amounts. The grant funding disseminated in 2023 is as a result of the donations raised during the St. Marys Area United Way 2022 campaign. Funding raised in 2023 will be available for organizations to seek grant funding in 2024.

The St. Marys Area United Way relies on the contributions from companies and local individuals. If you would like to become one of these individuals or corporate donors, please call 781-6000 or mail your check to the St. Marys Area United Way, 44 So. St. Marys Street, St. Marys, PA 15857