NRA 2011: McCormick For Chefs To Make Donation For Every Badge Scanned

Hunt Valley, MD — McCormick For Chefs®, the Food Away From Home Division of McCormick & Company, will be making a charitable contribution to the ProStart program for every badge scanned at its Booth 6415 during this year’s National Restaurant Association Show. For each scan, McCormick will donate $1, up to $10,000, to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart high school program. This initiative is one more way McCormick & Company gives back to the communities in which it operates, instilling its Power of People™ philosophy.

To further demonstrate its commitment to ProStart, McCormick For Chefs® is distributing red “McCormick For Chefs® – ProStart” wristbands and stickers to booth attendees who have their badges scanned to wear and show their program support. The McCormick For Chefs® booth will also feature a culinary exhibit, product sampling and cooking demonstrations by Executive Chef Kevan Vetter and his team.

ProStart is NRAEF’s nationwide, two-year high school program connecting the classroom and industry to develop talent into future restaurant and foodservice leaders.

“ProStart is changing students’ lives and introducing them to potential career paths. Generous contributions by current industry leaders enable us to provide teachers and students across the nation access to relevant, real-world educational opportunities to become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Dawn Sweeney, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF. “We are thankful to McCormick For Chefs for this donation, and for their long history of support for our association and programs.”

Phil Kafarakis, Vice President of McCormick For Chefs®, added, “McCormick For Chefs® is a long-term partner of NRAEF and proud supporter of ProStart. The organization has consistently proven its dedication to creating unique opportunities for these future chefs and operators to master new skills and gain a deeper understanding of the food industry. This passionate mindset resonates soundly with us, making it a natural choice to further our commitment to the ProStart program with a $10,000 charitable contribution.”

About ProStart
More than 89,000 students in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and 14 U.S. military bases, at home and abroad, participate in ProStart, a two-year educational program offered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and state restaurant associations. The career-building program blends classroom learning with mentored work experience to teach high school students the management and culinary skills needed for a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry. When students meet academic standards, complete a checklist of competencies, and work at least 400 hours in the industry, they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement that signifies they are well qualified to enter the industry workforce. For more information on the ProStart program, visit www.prostart.restaurant.org or find us on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/WeRRestaurants or Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/NationalRestaurantAssociation.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) enhances the restaurant industry's service to the public through education, community engagement, and promotion of career opportunities. The restaurant and foodservice industry is comprised of 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 13 million employees, making it one of the nation's largest employers. The NRAEF is focused on working with the Association to lead America's restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation by providing the valuable tools and resources needed to educate our current and incoming employees. For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org.

About McCormick & Company – The Flavor Expert:

Founded in 1889, McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor with the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of spices, herbs, seasonings, specialty foods and flavors to the entire food industry—retail outlets, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. McCormick For Chefs®—McCormick’s Food Away From Home division—provides unrivaled solutions to the distinct needs of professional foodservice with its McCormick Culinary™, Lawry’s®, OLD BAY®, Thai Kitchen® and Zatarain’s® products. Chefs and operators can be confident that McCormick brings more sensory science experience, product innovation and flavor expertise for quality taste experiences. For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.McCormickForChefs.com. Follow-us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mccormickforchefs.

Source: McCormick & Company