Youths with Disabilities Sought for Sports Jamboree at North Bend State Park

Youths with Disabilities Sought for Sports Jamboree
at North Bend State Park

Event Slated for July 16-18 in Parkersburg, W.Va., Area

April 7, 1999

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Applications are now being accepted for the
21st Annual International Sports Jamboree for the Disabled, an annual
event that allows young persons, aged 12-20, to compete in sports events
at one of West Virginia's premier state parks.

This year's Sports Jamboree will be held July 16, 17 and 18 at North Bend
State Park, near Parkersburg. Contestants have the opportunity to compete
in 16 events designed with their impairments in mind, from wheelchair
races to "beeping softball" to bicycling and basketball. The jamboree is
sponsored by the Bell Atlantic - West Virginia Pioneers.

"We give all youth with similar disabilities the opportunity to use special
equipment to compete," said Harold Neal, jamboree chairman. "They also
make many new friends and have a great time."

Last year, 39 contestants from five states and Canada ran, raced, shot
hoops and pellet guns, or splashed water in a variety of competitive
settings. Guests will be fed in a large, outdoor picnic pavilion and
entertained in the park amphitheater. The park's facilities are designed to
accommodate wheelchairs and visually impaired people.

The jamboree kicks off July 16 with practice sessions and special evening
entertainment under the stars. Competition begins early Saturday, with the
parade of contestants, followed at the conclusion by an awards ceremony
at the end of the day.

Youths from 12 to 20 years of age who either use wheelchairs or are
visually impaired are eligible to participate in the jamboree. For more
information and to register, contact Barbara Davis, Telephone Pioneers of
America, 425 S. Holden St., Clarksburg, W.Va. 26302 (304-623-6915;
BDavis8427@AOL.com).

The Bell Atlantic Foundation, which helps fund the Bell Atlantic - West
Virginia Pioneers, supports a variety of projects domestically and
internationally, with an emphasis on new technology applications in
education, health and human services, the arts and humanities, and civic
development in the communities served by Bell Atlantic. For more
information, visit www.bellatlanticfoundation.com on the Internet.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines
and 8.6 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies
are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.