MN Grocers Award $61,000 in Scholarships
The Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation awarded $25,000 in scholarships to employees or children of employees from Minnesota Grocers Association member companies for the 2011-12 school year.
The scholarship program serves to aid students who are related to Minnesota’s retail food industry by supporting their educational growth.
Using funds raised from an annual golf event and silent auction, the foundation is able to award scholarships and community grants. This year, it received 671 applications from 121 companies. The 25 scholarships awarded represent the largest number ever. Scholarships are awarded by an impartial committee of educators and based on community involvement and academic achievements.
This year, the Piggyback Scholarship Program was again available for members of the Minnesota Grocers Association, allowing companies to “piggyback” on the MGAF application process in order to provide a scholarship program specifically for their employees and employees’ dependents. Seven member companies participated and awarded a combined $36,000 in scholarships.
2011 Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation winners were Sara Buermann from Nash Finch Co., St. Cloud; Morgan Fournier from The Marketplace; Kristianna Harris from Cub Foods, Hastings; Cathryn Hartz from Glen’s Food Center; Marlee Helmeke from Dean’s Country Market, Perham; Kylee Hoheisel from Pierz Foods; Christopher Knoblauch from Coborn’s Inc.; Elizabeth Krueger from Teal’s Market, Cold Spring; Ali Lanz from Nash Finch Co., St. Cloud; Tyler Lehmann from Affiliated Foods Midwest; Jacob Meyer from Lunds, Ford Parkway; Miranda Moen from Quillin’s, Caledonia; Megan Ness from Hy-Vee, Faribault; Corinne O’Donnell from Nash Finch Co., Edina; Shane Pedersen from Fareway Stores Inc., Worthington; Michael Peterson from Cub Foods, Eagan East; Kelsey Pexa from Econofoods, New Prague; Jordan Ranstrom from Dale’s Foods; Julia Shir from Cub Foods, Shorewood; Jennifer Terhark from Cub Foods, Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis; Steven Thomalla from Coborn’s, Big Lake; Christine Tuinenga from Lund Food Holdings Inc.; Brittany Valentien from Gold’n Plump Poultry; Ashley Weber from Byerly’s, St. Cloud; and Sara Zent from Fareway Stores Inc., Stewartville.
2011 Piggyback Scholarship winners: Chris’ Food Center: Crystal DeVries and Bradley Klingsheim; from Dean Foods: Melanie Currey, Mary Graiziger, Cole Weber, Joshua Wells and Sarah Wells; from Jerry’s Enterprises Inc.: Barrett Amsrud, Megan Claflin, Matt Dybing, Amy Hasenberg, Molly Jutz, Nicole Soler, Jennifer Terhark and Larry Truong; from Kemps: Sarah Wagoner; from Mackenthun’s Fine Foods: Cassie Anderson; from Supervalu Northern Region Office: Jessica Dobmeier, Adam Gilliam, Gabriela Mendieta, Leslee Uhrich and Alexander Welter; from Supervalu Northern Region: Megan Claflin, Alexis Ferguson, Morgan Fournier, Christopher Knoblauch, Adam Lennartz, Marissa McLain, Jacob Meyer, Nathan Scharenbrock, Camille Tallman, Jennifer Terhark, Steven Thomalla, Christine Tuinenga, Kaittlin Walters, Ashley Weber and Heather Zinda; and from Teal’s Management: Elizabeth Krueger and Benjamin Stay.
MGA is a state trade association representing the food retail industry since 1897, with more than 200 retail members and nearly 1,100 stores statewide.