Bedford's historic two-story Coffee Pot soon may be joined by a 50-foot waitress, or a giant Model-T Ford, or some other iconic figure, thanks to a $49,000 grant linked to the 250th birthday of Pittsburgh.

The Coffee Pot, a Bedford County landmark since 1927, provided inspiration for the "Roadside Giants" initiative, one of 100 "Community Connections" projects announced yesterday.

Vocational and technical students from Bedford, Somerset and Westmoreland counties will design and build five new roadside attractions along Route 30, better known as the Lincoln Highway.

"There are lots of enrichment programs for students on the academic track," Olga Herbert said. "This project will allow vocational and technical students to shine -- and to learn how to cooperate and work within a budget."

A former English teacher, Ms. Herbert has been executive director of the Westmoreland County-based Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor for 12 years.

The "Roadside Giants," each of them a free-standing sculpture, will be between 30 and 50 feet tall and designed to last a minimum of 10 years. The students will be able to choose from among several categories for their designs, including vintage vehicles and historical figures.

At least some of them should be in place along Route 30 in time for next summer's Philadelphia-to-Pittsburgh bicycle race, she said.

"Roadside Giants" was one of a dozen regional projects awarded grants through the Community Connections initiative of Pittsburgh 250. Pittsburgh 250 is the umbrella organization for the regional celebration of the city's naming in 1758.

The awards were administered by The Sprout Fund with the help of 200 volunteers, representing the 14 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Regional grants were for as much as $50,000 with another 88 "grass-roots" projects getting up to $5,000 each.

A total of 540 organizations submitted applications, according to Aradhna Dhanda, one of the Community Connections co-chairs.

More than 300 recipients, grant reviewers and community leaders filled the 31st floor auditorium of the Regional Enterprise Tower, Downtown, yesterday for the announcement of winners.

The city's birthday is meant to be a regional commemoration, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said. Pittsburgh has been ranked the nation's most livable city twice by "Places Rated Almanac" in part because of the amenities to be found in nearby counties, he said.

Thanks to the $1 million in Community Connections grants, every borough and township in the region will be affected by the Pittsburgh 250 celebration, he said.

Funding for grass-roots projects will provide assistance for programs ranging from tutoring and landscaping to cooking and spiritual healing.

The Beaver Area Heritage Foundation received $5,000 to help equip a regiment of re-enactors representing the garrison stationed at Fort McIntosh in 1778, while the Sandyvale Cemetery Association will use its $5,000 to help create a visitors center for a planned botanical garden in Johnstown.

Other regional projects include a "Good Neighbors Day" to mark the 80th birthday of Fred Rogers and commissions for seven new Pittsburgh-themed musical works to be premiered in 2008 by the River City Brass Band.

The August Wilson Center for African American Culture will use its regional grant to collect 20 oral histories from local black artists.

"We're hoping to do about 250 eventually," said Neil Barclay, president of the Wilson Center. "We hope to show what life was like in Pittsburgh, not only for artists but for educators and for business people."

The Wilson Center is scheduled to open Downtown late in 2008 or early in 2009.

Information on all 100 projects can be found at www.post-gazette.com/connections.