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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Jake Wheatley
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Wheatley speaking at 'Stay in School' rally Saturday with R & B musician Tyga
Legislator also running in marathon Sunday
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 27 – State Rep. Jake Wheatley, D-Allegheny, will speak at a "Stay in School" pep rally Saturday with recording artist Tyga.
The rally, sponsored by the Beltzhoover Civic Association and BET, will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29 at Brashear High School, 590 Crane Ave. The event is open to the public and media coverage is invited.
"I am pleased that a nationally known recording artist is taking time while in Pittsburgh to encourage young people to stay in school and inform them of the importance of higher learning," Wheatley said.
Tyga will give away 75 tickets for a concert that evening at the Consol Energy Center, which will feature him, Chris Brown, Kelly Rowland and T-Pain. He will also give away t-shirts and posters, according to the association. BET will be on hand to interview local students.
On Sunday, Wheatley, a former active duty Marine, will run in the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., as part of the America 4R Marines team to assist in raising money for Marines and their families who are deployed overseas. As a special honor, Wheatley will carry the guidon, the flag of the 3/2 Weapons Battalion, for an injured Marine sergeant who will do the marathon in a three-wheeled hand cycle.
"I am committed to promoting healthy living. Not everyone can run a 26-mile race, but nearly all of us can get more active," Wheatley said. "I am also committed to protecting health-care funding, which is why I opposed the Corbett-Republican budget that became law earlier this year. That budget made cuts that will limit access to health care, along with the governor's decision to let adultBasic health coverage end for more than 40,000 people. Those cuts will also harm our region's economy, which has health care as a major sector."
Wheatley is a recognized U.S. Marine combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm who received the Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where he graduated with honors. He went on to receive a master's of public administration from the University of Pittsburgh.
Wheatley represents the 19th Legislative District, which includes part or all of these historic Pittsburgh neighborhoods: the Hill District, North Side, South Side, Allentown, Hazelwood, Downtown, the Bluff, Knoxville, Beltzhoover, Manchester, Arlington, Arlington Heights, and West, South and North Oakland.
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