Colorado Cub Scout camp courts controversy with Hooters partnership

DENVER, July 5 (UPI) -- Some parents of Colorado Cub Scouts said they were outraged to discover Hooters had sponsored a day camp and sent waitresses to help out as volunteers.

Michelle Kettleborough, whose 7-year-old son attended the three-day Frontier District Day Camp at Odom Farm in Wheat Ridge, said she was surprised when she arrived to pick up the boy at the end of the day and spotted young women dressed in attire from Hooters, a restaurant famed for its scantily-clad female waitstaff.

"And I step back for a second and I take a look and I'm like, 'are they wearing Hooters visors? Wait a minute," Kettleborough told KMGH-TV.

Marsha Corn, whose son also attended the day camp, echoed Kettleborough's concerns.

"It's just the philosophies of the two organizations are polar opposites and I just don't think they should be together," Corn said of Hooters and the Boy Scouts.

Corn said she voiced her concerns in an email to the Boy Scouts of America Denver Area Council, and was disappointed with the response.

"The restaurant assisted with the costs of putting on the camp, and through their community volunteering several of their waitresses donated their time to help staff the camp. Glad to hear your son had such a good time," the email sent to Corn read.

The Boy Scouts of America responded to the controversy in a statement:

"A restaurant extended support to help make a local Cub Scout Day Camp possible and provided volunteers for the camp. The group of trained volunteers mistakenly wore the wrong attire and it was addressed by our Council leadership. The Boy Scouts of America relies on millions of dedicated volunteers and we are very appreciative of their commitment. We extend our apologies for this mistake and look forward to continuing our mission of serving youth in the Denver area."

"We love the Scouts, we think they made a very poor choice and what I would like and what I think would go a long way again is some accountability," Corn said.

Kettleborough was less forgiving of the organization.

"Quite honestly we're questioning whether we're going to keep him in the organization at all next year," she said.

Hooters Colorado initially deleted a Facebook post showing Hooters employees helping with crafts at the camp and posing with campers and staff members, but the organization reposted the pictures Friday "due to a news story that ran this evening that was completely inaccurate!"

"We are disappointed a good deed was portrayed in a poor light. This is our attempt to right the situation. We enjoyed volunteering our time and look forward to future events!" the post said.