MN Grocers Award $76,500 in Scholarships

6/20/2012

The Minnesota Grocers Association Foundation awarded $25,000 in scholarships to employees or children of employees from association member companies for the 2012-2013 school year.

The Foundation 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 MGA Foundation is able to award scholarships and community grants. This year, the Foundation received 521 applications from 75 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 $51,500 in scholarshis.

2012 MGA Foundation scholarship winners include:

Kevin Bontrager from Retail Data Systems, Eden Prairie
Claire Clark from Advantage Sales & Marketing, Bloomington
Kristen Eckwright from Supervalu, Minneapolis
Jessica Foag from Retail Inventory Services, New Brighton
Cora Gohmann from Gohmann’s Foods, Kimball
Bob Guetter from Miltona Grocery, Miltona
Lauren Hamilton from Supervalu, Minneapolis
Magni Hammarstedt from Cub Foods, Crystal
Marie Helkenn from Casey’s General Store, Blooming Prairie
Katie Hopfer from Teal’s Market, Cold Spring
Tori Kee from Hy-Vee Food Store, Rochester
Danielle Kukowski from Cash Wise, Moorhead
Kelsie Leintz from Galen’s SuperValu, Bagley
Jennifer Lindell from GNP Company, St. Cloud
Ben Mallonee from Cub Foods, St. Louis Park
Ryan Oye from Glen’s Food Center, Inc., Luverne
Sabrina Raddle from Hy-Vee Food Store, Worthington
Chelby Rediske from Arctic Glacier Ice, West St. Paul
Chelsea Robinson from Cub Foods, Chanhassen
Mark Rosno from Cub Foods, West St. Paul
Jenassa Sanford from KEMPS, Rochester
Kayli Stenstrom from Evers Heilig, Minnetonka
MacKenzie Swick from Hugo’s Family Marketplace, Thief River Falls
James Walling from Byerly’s, St. Louis Park
Kari Yorek from Lund Food Holdings, Inc., Edina

2012 Piggyback Scholarship winners include:

Chris’ Food Center: Amy Odendahl and Corey Sura;
Dean Foods: Christopher Borseth, Justin Buhl, and Megan Flaherty;
Glen’s Food Center, Inc.: Travis Kvaale
Jerry’s Enterprises, Inc.: Elizabeth Chatt, Alyssa Claflin, Megan Claflin, Connor Glade, Bridget Gorshe, Katelynn Ha, Amy Hasenberg, Kristoffer Hernandez, Benjamin Hoffman, Molly Jutz, Joseph Konkle, Benjamin Mallonee, Alex Malmstedt, Stacy Millner, Na Moua, Marie Reners, David Rickheim, Mark Rosno, Ethan Schiller, Hannah Skog, Nicole Soler, Jennifer Terhark, Christopher Tonsager, Larry Truong, and Ryan Williams
KEMPS: Bridget Williams
Mackenthun’s Fine Foods: Emily Martel
SUPERVALU Northern Region Office: Samuel Hager, Ashley Klotz, Scott Miller, Bailey Opsal, and Caitlin Steinman
SUPERVALU Northern Region: Jake Braegelmann, Lexy Brown, Elizabeth Chatt, Megan Claflin, Steven Halvorson, Stephanie Hovet, Danielle Kukowski, Kelsie Leintz, Jennifer Long, Jacob Meyer, Darren Preiner, Mark Rosno, Jennifer Terhark, James Walling, Kari Yorek
Teal’s Management: Zachary Dingmann and Ryan Gerads.

The Minnesota Grocers Association is a state trade association representing over 200 retail members with nearly 1,100 stores statewide, as well as approximately 100 manufacturers and distributors.