YMCA TO HONOR 105 LOCAL SCHOLAR-ATHLETES AT ANNUAL BANQUET

PNC CHAIRMAN JIM ROHR NAMED PERSON OF THE YEAR; STEELERS COACH BILL COWHER EARNS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Tom Bradley, Defensive Coordinator, Nittany Lions Football at Penn State University along with Jerry Wainwright, Head Coach Men’s Basketball at DePaul University and Seth Davis, CBS Sports Analyst will headline a star-studded list of sports greats and civic leaders gathering to honor the top 105 student athletes from across Southwestern Pennsylvania at the Downtown YMCA’s 2006 Scholar-Athlete Banquet being held on Wednesday, May 31 at the Pittsburgh Hilton. The Downtown YMCA is a branch of the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh.

The Downtown YMCA will also honor Jim Rohr, chairman and chief executive officer of The PNC Financial Services Group, as its 2006 Person of the Year. In its supporting role of the Scholar Athlete Banquet, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review will present Bill Cowher, coach of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, with its City of Champions Achievement Award.

The Best and the Brightest Students and Sports Greats
The 51 males and 54 female scholar-athletes being honored at the banquet represent 66 regional high schools and have competed in a wide variety of varsity sports, including football, basketball, baseball, hockey, field hockey, track, tennis, golf and others (see complete list attached). They were selected based on academic and athletic achievements as well as community service over the course of the 2005-2006 school year. On average, honorees achieved a 4.1 grade point average. Approximately, 47% of the boys being honored are in the Top 10 in their class, 60% of the female honorees have achieved Top 10 class status.

At the banquet, honorees will have an opportunity to meet and mingle with civic leaders and sports celebrities from Pittsburgh and beyond, all of whom attend the event without compensation. Some who have attended in the past or are expected to attend this year include, Agnes Berenato, Troy Polamalu, Dan Rooney, Chip Ganassi, Frank B. Fuhrer, Hines Ward, Peter King, Skip Prosser and Ulice Payne. For tickets, please contact the Downtown YMCA at 412-227-6428.

Jim Rohr and Bill Cowher Earn Special Recognition Upholding a 32 year tradition, the YMCA will also honor its Person of the Year at the banquet. The 2006 nominating committee has chosen Jim Rohr for his successful leadership of PNC and his commitment to enhancing the future of Pittsburgh. In addition to his role with PNC, Rohr serves as chairman of both the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Rohr is the first corporate leader to earn Person of the Year honors since 1989.

“Jim’s leadership and winning attitude make him an ideal choice for this award and a great role model for these young people,” said John Cardone, the Downtown YMCA Branch Executive. “He is also a true sports fan and – as his recent hole-in-one demonstrates – a great athlete himself.”

Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Bill Cowher has earned the 2006 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review City of Champions Achievement Award for his winning record, leadership, emphasis on teamwork and commitment to the Pittsburgh region.

“Coach Cowher epitomizes achievement. Through motivational leadership and deep respect for his players, he has built a team of champions – on and off the field,” said Trish Hooper, Division Manager of Marketing and Circulation – Trib Total Media. “His contributions to our region are just as special. Without fanfare, Coach supports the Y and so many other organizations that make an indelible impact on our community.”

The YMCA Scholar-Athlete Banquet also received generous support from KDKA/UPN-TV and Lamar Advertising. In addition, corporate sponsorship was provided by PNC, Prudential Financial, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Precor, Reed Smith LLP, The Fuhrer Family, Tucker Arensberg and LanXESS to name a few.