Franchisee Presents 173 Students in 11 States with $1,000 Scholarships
GPS Hospitality, a rapidly growing franchisee with nearly 400 BURGER KING restaurants, will proudly award 173 BURGER KING McLAMORE Foundation scholarships to students throughout 11 states this graduation season. Recently awarded BURGER KING’s ‘2018 Global Franchisee of the Year,’ GPS Hospitality has supported 871 scholars since 2013.
Funded solely through local restaurants guest donations, students named BURGER KING℠ Scholars will receive $1,000 scholarships to further their educational advancement – joining nearly 3,000 other recipients throughout North America that were awarded a collective $4 million in 2019.
“Today with the assistance of the McLAMORE Foundation, we honor 173 scholars for their academic achievements, as well as recognize the countless hours our restaurant teams have put in to fund the scholarships,” said Tom Garrett, CEO of GPS Hospitality. “With the generosity of our guests, the teams executed successful in-restaurant campaigns with each $1 donation collectively supporting the scholars’ future endeavors, as well as making a lasting impact for both the recipients and their families.”
GPS Hospitality restaurants participated in both the spring and fall McLAMORE Foundation fundraisers in 2018, which generated $173,000 from $1 donations. Since its inception in 2000, the Foundation has awarded more than 36,000 scholarships to high school seniors, BURGER KING employees, their spouses/domestic partners and children across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, resulting in $39 million in grants to students in local communities.
Recipients were selected by the Foundation based on their grade point average, extracurricular activities, community service and work experience.
“We believe that without education, you limit your potential to be your way. The BURGER KING℠ Scholars program is our way of helping advance education and alleviating the burden of student debt,” said Amanda Israel, executive director, BURGER KING McLAMORE℠ Foundation. “These students represent top talent across the nation who are working towards creating a brighter future for everyone.”
The BURGER KING Scholars program is the BURGER KING McLAMORE Foundation’s flagship program, established to honor the legacy of the BURGER KING brand’s co-founder James W. McLamore, whose commitment to philanthropy and education made him a pillar of community service throughout his lifetime.
For more information on the program, including instructions for 2019 scholarship applications, please visit https://bk-scholars.com/
About GPS Hospitality
Founded in 2012, GPS Hospitality is a BURGER KING®, Pizza Hut®, and Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen franchisee, operating more than 475 restaurants in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. GPS Hospitality seeks to become our guests’ favorite QSR destination by implementing our brand values of being Goal Focused, People Oriented and Service Obsessed. For more information, please visit www.gpshospitality.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About the Burger King McLamore℠ Foundation
The BURGER KING McLAMORE℠ Foundation is a U.S. based 501(c)(3) public nonprofit that believes without education you limit your potential to be your own way. Inspired by BURGER KING® Restaurants co-founder, Jim McLamore, its mission is to create brighter futures by empowering individuals and feeding potential through education and emergency relief. As a global Foundation, the BURGER KING McLAMORE℠ Foundation partners with select nonprofits focusing on scholarships, literacy, and creating sustainable learning environments. To learn more, visit bkmclamore.org.
About Burger King Worldwide
Founded in 1954, the BURGER KING® brand is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world. The original HOME OF THE WHOPPER®, the BURGER KING® system operates more than 14,000 locations in approximately 100 countries and U.S. territories. Almost 100 percent of BURGER KING® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. The BURGER KING® brand is owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc. (TSX,NYSE:QSR), one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with more than $23 billion in system sales and over 19,000 restaurants. To learn more about the BURGER KING® brand, please visit the BURGER KING® brand website at www.bk.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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Media Contact: Cindy Stoltz – cstoltz@alliedglobalmarketing.com – 404-239-5437