The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation And Rich Products Corporation Award Four Undergraduate Scholarships For Continuing Education In The Restaurant And Foodservice Industry

Chicago, IL - In recognition of their outstanding scholastic performance within the restaurant and foodservice industry, The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and Rich Products Corporation presented four college students with the Robert E. Rich Chairman's Award. Each scholarship was awarded on May 20, 2006 at the National Restaurant Association/NRAEF's 19th Annual Salute to ExcellenceSM Awards Gala and Banquet.

The recipients include:

• Gregory Astudillo, Johnson & Wales University - $3,000 scholarship
  
• Lindsay Seagull, Culinary Institute of America - $3,000 scholarship
  
• Benjamin Justus, Cornell School of Hotel Administration - $2,000 scholarship
  
• Jillian Dorans, Cornell University Food Industry Management major - $2,000 scholarship

"These scholarships are an incredible way to honor the memory of Robert Rich, who passed away last February. Mr. Rich was a firm believer in education and giving back to the community. The talented students who received the scholarships will continue his tradition of excellence and innovation in the restaurant and foodservice industry," said Mary M. Adolf, president and chief operating officer of the NRAEF. "We are grateful to Rich Products for their generous contribution to the NRAEF's scholarship program, and are thrilled to support these students as they pursue an education and career in this industry."

The Robert E. Rich Chairman's Award was established in 2003, in celebration of Robert E. Rich's 90th birthday, to help support the continued education of undergraduate students pursuing careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry. A total of $90,000 was donated to the NRAEF's scholarship program to be awarded through 2012.

For the next six years, Robert E. Rich Chairman's Award scholarships will be made available through the NRAEF to students in the following four categories:

• $3,000 to a sophomore or junior at the Culinary Institute of America.
  
• $3,000 to a sophomore or junior at Johnson & Wales University.
  
• $2,000 to a Cornell University School of Hotel Administration sophomore or junior.
  
• $2,000 to a Cornell University sophomore or junior majoring in Food Industry Management.

Robert E. Rich, a pioneer of the frozen non-dairy segment, began his path to frozen food industry fame in 1935 as owner and operator of Wilber Farms Dairy in Buffalo, NY. Rich's milk industry career extended to 1945 when, while serving as a War Food Administrator, Rich learned about successful research on the use of soybeans to create innovative food products. Intrigued by the possibilities, Rich directed a team to investigate the use of soybeans in the manufacture of non-dairy topping products. The result was Rich's Whip Topping, the world's first frozen non-dairy whipped topping, and the birth of Rich Products Corporation, the company which pioneered the "Miracle Cream from the Soya Bean."

The importance of providing students with scholarships to pursue a restaurant and foodservice education is vital to maintaining our industry's role as the cornerstone of rewarding career and employment opportunities. As the NRAEF focuses on risk management, recruitment, and retention, scholarships provide an opportunity to recruit qualified and educated employees. A key component in the recruitment and retention of the best to the restaurant and foodservice industry is the NRAEF's pledge to provide scholarships -- essential to the development of an educated workforce -- to high school students, undergraduate students, and educators.

SOURCE: National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)