For immediate release
For information, text or accompanying image via e-mail, contact:   Mike Jehle, Development Director
Phone: 401-846-1775
E-mail: mike@sailtraining.org

June 22, 2005, Newport, RI – Last Saturday, June 18th, 2005 the American Sail Training Association (ASTA) held a delightful and highly successful reception in honor of two community leaders— Keith Stokes, executive director of the Newport County Chamber of Commerce and Tom Roos, president of IDC—that was attended by nearly 200 people. The evening's events included a wine tasting sail aboard the schooner Aurora, an evening reception with live and silent auctions, and riotous pirate entertainment that included a surprise, mock kidnapping and ransom of Mrs. Thomas Weschler that helped raise funds for the Harry Anderson Scholarship Fund that gives disadvantaged youth an opportunity to sail on tall ships.

“This year's ‘Buccaneer's Bash' was one of the best events ASTA has presented,” exclaimed ASTA

Executive Director Peter Mello, “Many of the auction items were outstanding and the bidding was very lively.” Auction items skillfully presented by Newport auctioneer Mike Corcoran included a two-bedroom villa in St. Barts; a Nantucket cottage; trans-Atlantic, European and Patagonian voyages on a tall ships; along with a Caribbean cruises and other extraordinary items.

The June 18th celebration was ASTA's main fund raising event of the year and was held at the Marina Grille at Goat Island Marina. Special recognition plaques were awarded to Keith Stokes and Tom Roos in honor of their contributions to making last year's Tall Ships® Rhode Island event in Newport a success.

The American Sail Training Association was founded in 1972 with just a handful of sail training vessels sailing New England waters. Today ASTA is an intern ational institution with a membership of more than 250 tall ships and sail training vessels representing 25 different countries and navigating all of the world's major bodies of water. ASTA is currently the largest sail training association in the world.

The American Sail Training Association is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage character building through sail training, promote sail training to the North American public and support education under sail. ASTA hosts an Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships, educational forums on Safety at Sea, Education Under Sail and Maritime Heritage. Additionally, ASTA organizes the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE®, a series of sail training races, rallies and maritime festivals that rotate every three years around the Atlantic, Pacific and Great Lakes Coasts of North America . The TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series is scheduled to return to Newport in 2007.

ASTA publishes SAIL TALL SHIPS!, the definitive guide to sail training and adventure at sea. ASTA raises money for and administers a number of scholarship and grants programs including the Henry H. Anderson, Jr.Youth Sail Training Scholarship, the Ernestine Bennett Memorial Scholarship, the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Youth Sail Training Scholarship and the ASTA Crew Professional Development Grant Program ASTA's activities directly support youth education and leadership development programs that shape young people's lives and build tomorrow's leaders.

Proceeds from this year's fundraiser will support the American Sail Training Association's mission “to encourage character building through sail training, promote sail training to the North American public, and support education under sail.”

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