Ecolab Event Raises More Than $200,000 for National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation Scholarships

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ecolab Inc., a global leader in food safety solutions and expertise, helped raise more than $200,000 for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) during the 17th Annual Ecolab Chairman's Reception, held Sunday, May 19 in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

The gala was attended by more than 700 restaurant and foodservice industry leaders in support of the NRAEF ProStart^® program, a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and industry to develop tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders.

“It is great to see so many industry leaders come together for this event to support the NRAEF and its programs to develop talent and foster career opportunities within the restaurant industry,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “Each year through the ProStart program, nearly 150,000 students gain the training and hands-on experience necessary to become the next generation of industry leaders.”

As the event concluded, Baker, Mike Hickey, Ecolab executive vice president of Special Initiatives and past-chair of the NRAEF board of trustees, and Chris Loflin, senior vice president of Institutional Global Corporate Accounts, presented Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association and NRAEF president and CEO, and Rob Gifford, NRAEF executive vice president, with a check for $202,825 on behalf of Ecolab and gala attendees.

“Ecolab’s commitment to the future of the restaurant industry inspires us every day. From the very beginnings of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and the ProStart program, Ecolab has supported our efforts to attract, empower and advance the next generation of our industry’s workforce,” said Gifford. “They are incredible partners and we are so grateful for their generosity.”

Ecolab has helped raise more than $2.1 million for the NRAEF and the ProStart program since the event began in 2003.

About the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts.

The NRAEF and its programs work to attract, empower and advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based organizations to provide “opportunity youth” with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and, the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information, visit ChooseRestaurant.org.

About Ecolab
A trusted partner at nearly three million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With annual sales of $15 billion and 49,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights 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 news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.

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