Ecolab Event Raises More Than $151,000 for National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Scholarships
CHICAGO, May 20, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Ecolab Inc. helped raise more than $151,000 in support of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) during the 13th Annual Ecolab Chairman's Reception, held the evening of May 17 in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago.
More than 850 guests from the restaurant and foodservice industry attended the event, which supports the NRAEF ProStart® program, a nationwide, two-year high school education program that unites the classroom and industry to develop students seeking professions in the restaurant and foodservice industry.
"The NRAEF ProStart program helps develop today's brightest young talent into tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice leaders," said Ecolab Executive Vice President and President, Global Institutional,
Michael Hickey, who serves as chair of the NRAEF board of trustees. "We are honored to help bring together so many influential industry leaders at this annual event in support of NRAEF and the ProStart program."
During the event, Hickey and
Douglas M. Baker, Jr., Ecolab chairman and CEO, presented
Dawn Sweeney, NRA and NRAEF president and CEO, and
Rob Gifford, NRA and NRAEF executive vice president of Strategic Operations and Philanthropy, with a check for $151,270 on behalf of Ecolab and event attendees.
"ProStart's industry-derived curriculum is a model for career technical education," said Sweeney. "On behalf of the ProStart students and scholarship recipients served by the NRAEF, we are grateful to Ecolab and their industry partners for their investment in the future of our workforce and their commitment to helping students gain the skills necessary to achieve rewarding, long-term careers and advance within our industry."
Over the last 13 years, Ecolab has helped raise more than $1.5 million for the NRAEF and ProStart program through this annual event.
About the NRAEF
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry's service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. The restaurant and foodservice industry comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 14 million employees, making it one of the nation's largest employers. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org.
About Ecolab
A trusted partner at more than one million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With 2014 sales of $14 billion and 47,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.
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