WALTHAM, Mass., March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is celebrating Pi Day with the delivery of hundreds of apple pies to math and science teachers at public middle and high schools located within a 3.14-mile radius of the company's headquarters in Waltham, Mass.

Pi, the mathematical constant approximately equal to 3.14, is celebrated March 14 because of the date's numerical significance. The initiative is part of Raytheon's MathMovesU® program, which is aimed at increasing students' interest in math and engineering through interactive activities and programs.

Raytheon is encouraging students everywhere to show their own appreciation by bringing pies to their math and science teachers. In an effort to spread the word and raise national awareness for Pi Day, Raytheon is making a Pi Day badge available on Facebook, shareable from www.facebook.com/mathmovesu and www.mathmovesu.com. Raytheon is encouraging students, parents and educators to share the special Pi Day badge on friends' Facebook walls to celebrate the efforts of our nation's math and science educators and the arrival of 3.14 on the calendar.

"Our employees — so many of whom are engineers — are extremely grateful to teachers who spend each day encouraging and inspiring today's students to become tomorrow's innovators," said Pam Wickham, vice president of Corporate Affairs and Communications for Raytheon Company. "We hope this small gesture of gratitude will encourage others to show their appreciation for these educators, while helping to drive awareness and interest in STEM beyond the classroom walls."

Pi is widely used by engineers and students in various mathematical formulae. The symbol is commonly used to calculate the area of a circle through the formula, Area = Pi x radius(2) (area of the circle equals pi times the radius of the circle squared), and to calculate circumference through the formula, Circumference = Pi x diameter (circumference of the circle equals pi times the diameter of the circle). Pi has been calculated to more than 1 trillion digits after the decimal. It is an irrational and transcendental number, continuing infinitely without repeating. In 1706, Welsh mathematician William Jones first used the symbol for pi to represent the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

About MathMovesU

Raytheon's MathMovesU® program is committed to increasing middle school students' interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the "In the Numbers" game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon; the company's three-year sponsorship of the National MATHCOUNTS® competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program providing more than $1 million in annual funding to students and teachers. Follow us on Twitter @raytheonmmu.

Raytheon Company, with 2010 sales of $25 billion, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 89 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

SOURCE Raytheon Company