Asparagus Club Scholarship Applications Now Available
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2013 Asparagus Club Scholarships. Each year, subject to availability of funds, as many as 10 scholarships go to full-time juniors, seniors or graduate students pursuing a degree in business, food management or another relevant course of study leading to a career in the grocery industry, with preference given to the independent retail and wholesale sector.
Each scholarship is $1,500 per semester (fall and spring only) for a maximum of four consecutive semesters. Recipients must maintain a 2.5 grade point average per semester/quarter and full-time status to continue receiving the scholarship. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is April 30. Application forms can be found online.
In other Asparagus Club news, at the recent 2013 National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, the organization named its 2013-14 officers, who are as follows: Past President Dave Jones, The Kellogg Co.; President Dan Shaul, Missouri Grocers Association (MGA); 1st VP Neal Berube, Associated Food Stores; 2st VP Jay Lawrence, Lawrence Brothers Supermarkets; Secretary/Treasurer Matt Keller, Unilever; and Scholarship Chairman Jay Campbell, Associated Grocers Inc.-Baton Rouge.
“It is my goal that the Asparagus Club can continue to offer scholarships to students desiring employment in this great industry and to further its ability to assist the National Grocers Association in assuring the success of the independent retailer,” said Shaul, who is the MGA’s state director.
Preliminary results revealed that the organization raised nearly $10,000 in contributions from its Asparagus Club breakfast, EXPO Longest Drive Contest, and silent auction at the trade show.
The Asparagus Club also sponsored a university case study competition in which eight institutes of higher learning took part. Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia won first place, receiving a scholarship of $4,000, with team members sharing $4,000 in prizes as well.
The Asparagus Club was founded in 1909 to foster a spirit of cooperation and fellowship among all sectors of the grocery industry.