Wegmans Honored By State Education Association

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ALBANY, NY (04/19/2011)(readMedia)-- The School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) is proud to present its 2011 Friend of Education Award to Wegmans Food Markets and the Wegman family. The award is given to an individual, group, or organization that has consistently contributed to the support and advancement of outstanding public education and the students of New York State. Wegmans was nominated for this award by the Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Rochester (a SAANYS local unit), with particular recognition from the Rochester secondary school administrators in appreciation of Wegmans' support of the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection.

This award is in recognition of Wegmans long history of supporting youth, community, and education. Named by Fortune as one of "100 Best Companies to Work For," Wegmans continues to support their employees through its generous college scholarship program and the creation and support of the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, as well as numerous other programs.

The late Robert Wegman and his son Danny founded the Work-Scholarship Connection in 1987. Since 1996, the groundbreaking, nationally recognized program has been an affiliate of the Hillside Family of Agencies, serving thousands of at-risk youth in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Prince George's County, MD. The Connection provides these youth with mentors, part-time jobs, and other supports to help them develop the habits and acquire the skills to become contributing, responsible young people at home, in school, at work, and within the community. Wegmans Food Markets provides part-time jobs to students, and the Wegman Family Charitable Foundation continues to provide financial support.

Speaking to Wegmans Food Markets' employee scholarship program, President Colleen Wegman states that "Wegmans Scholarships are one of the proudest traditions of our company." And it shows. Since the program's inception in 1984, the company has awarded over $77MILLION in tuition assistance to more than 24,000 college-bound employees. Award recipients are free to use the scholarships for the college and field of study of their choice.

Wegmans Food Markets also supports numerous other programs that help young people to become healthy, productive adults. To name a few, these include their Eat Well Live Well 4th grade store tours and Veggie Patch classes for scouts; Strong's Super Kid Market; the ProStart Culinary Competition for High School Students, Foodlink's Kids Café program, and Project Search, a high school transition program for 18-21 year olds with developmental disabilities that provides training and education leading to employment opportunities.

Said SAANYS Deputy Executive Director Don Nickson, "To list all of the contributions of this family and its company would take days. Suffice it to say, there are few organizations as dedicated to the future of its community and its young citizens than Wegmans. We are fortunate to have such a company based right here in western New York and are honored to recognize their commitment and service."

The School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS) represents over 7,200 school administrators, supervisors, and coordinators. As a professional association, SAANYS is committed to providing direction, service, and support to its members in their efforts to improve the quality of education and leadership in New York State schools. SAANYS is the state affiliate to both the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 77-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the '100 Best Companies to Work For' by FORTUNE magazine for twelve consecutive years. In 2010, Wegmans ranked #3 on the list.

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