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Chick-fil-A Reaches 20,000th Scholarship Milestone
Chick-fil-A Reaches 20,000th Scholarship Milestone
Published 07-28-05
Submitted by Chick-fil-A
Through its Leadership Scholarship program, Chick-fil-A has offered financial assistance to 20,000 restaurant employees who have gone on to attended 2,138 colleges, universities and other educational institutions throughout the country since the program was established in 1973 by Chick-fil-A founder and CEO Truett Cathy. Erica Lampkin of Augusta, Ga. was recently recognized as the chain's 20,000th scholarship recipient during a special celebration at the company's Atlanta headquarters. Lampkin is planning to study Biology at nationally ranked Spelman College in Atlanta beginning this fall.
"It has long been my goal to encourage our restaurant employees to strive for excellence; that's why I created the Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship, so they will have the tools necessary to secure a bright future for themselves and our nation," said Cathy, who formally created the Leadership Scholarship program in 1973, only seven years after the opening of his first Chick-fil-A restaurant at Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall. "Eddie White, the employee we raised funds for in a mayonnaise jar 50 years ago, eventually became an assistant superintendent of schools in a metro Atlanta county where he now serves on its school board. He is a perfect example of the level of success that our Chick-fil-A employees can achieve when they are given a start like our scholarships."
Since writing a personal check to help make up the lacking college funds for Eddie 50 years ago, Truett Cathy and the Chick-fil-A chain today write a check annually for nearly $1.2 million in $1,000 Leadership Scholarships, which are awarded to some 1,200 restaurant team members who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of work, education, community and personal leadership development.
In addition to the Leadership Scholarship, the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award, created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Chick-fil-A's Leadership Scholarship program in 1997 and to continue to build on the chain's commitment to education, is given nationally to the top 25 students selected from that year's 1,200-plus Leadership Scholarship recipients. Since 1997, the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award has totaled an additional $225,000 in scholarship money to employees.
Another scholarship program supported by Chick-fil-A is the Cathy-created WinShape Centre(R) Foundation in conjunction with Berry College. It provides co-op scholarships to Chick-fil-A team members who are in interested in attending Berry College in Rome, Ga. Since 1984, nealry 900 Chick-fil-A team members and other students have taken advantage of the program, which provides up to $32,000 in co-op scholarship funds to incoming freshmen.
Chick-fil-A's unique scholarship program complements a host of other initiatives that the chain has developed to positively influence young people, such as year-round school attendance and reading programs, and Core Essentials, a character education program being implemented in more than 1,100 elementary schools throughout the country. Chick-fil-A's Kid's Meals also strive to provide educational and character-building premiums that encourage interaction among children and their families.
These programs are part of Truett Cathy's philosophy, which was recently chronicled in his new book, It's Better to Build Boys Than Mend Men. "Like the name of our foundation, WinShape, it has always been my goal to help shape winners out of young people," added Cathy.
Continuing its unprecedented, 37-year run of consecutive sales gains, Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc. reported 2004 system-wide sales of more than $1.7 billion, a 13.8 percent increase over its 2003 figures and a positive 5.2 percent same-store sales increase over the preceding year. The 37 consecutive years of continuous sales growth spans the entire history of the Chick-fil-A chain, which started in 1967.
The chain currently operates more than 1,205 restaurants in 38 states and Washington D.C. and is expected to build more than 77 new restaurants this year, including 60 free-standing locations. Additional information about Chick-fil-A is located at www.chick-fil-apressroom.com, www.chick-fil-a.com, or www.truettcathy.com.
