Multi-Million Dollar Grant to Scout Training Center

Austin, Texas (PRWEB) June 12, 2009

The Capitol Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, is pleased to announce that it has received a $2.5 million anonymous challenge grant toward the construction of the Frank Fickett Scout Training Center.

The gift will require the council, which serves 22,000 youth including 7,500 at risk youth throughout 15 counties in Central Texas, to raise an equivalent amount to earn the grant. The Fickett Training Center budget is $10.1 million. Successfully completing this challenge grant will bring the total dollars pledged to $9.3 million.

"This gift is especially meaningful because it will make a tremendous difference in our ability to reach more disadvantaged youth in Central Texas, and achieve our goal of increasing our overall youth membership to 30,000," noted Steve Matthews, Chairman of the Step Up. Stand Tall. Capital Campaign. "Young people, regardless of ethnicity or economics, are interested in Scouting's fun, outdoor program. Our only obstacle to recruiting more youth is attracting and properly training more volunteer adult leaders to lead Scout units. The Fickett Center will greatly facilitate both recruitment and training."

Built in 1967, the present Scout Service Center, at 7540 Ed Bluestein Boulevard, lacks any training space. The new Fickett Training Center, to be located at I-35 and Parmer Lane, will enable the council to conduct more than 500 training events annually.

Scouting in Central Texas has grown in membership for three years straight - and currently has nearly 22,000 registered youth members and 8,000 registered adult volunteer leaders. Families interested in Scouting should visit http://www.bsacac.org.

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