FRLA’s Broward Chapter Raises Funds to Support Hospitality Education for Local High School Students

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Communications Director
850.224.2250 x255
ERay@FRLA.org

(Ft. Lauderdale, FL) – The Broward Chapter of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association is proud to support local high school students by awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships to further their hospitality education. In Broward County, there are 22 high schools with more than 6,500 students enrolled in school-to-career training programs provided by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Educational Foundation (FRLAEF).

“These students are the future of Florida’s hospitality industry and we feel it’s important to extend our efforts to ensure they receive opportunities to build the foundation for fantastic careers,” said Eduardo Fernandez, the President of the Broward Chapter and General Manager of the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale. “In 2015, we plan to continue encouraging students in our community to pursue their dreams and help give them the ability to do so.”

In 2014, FRLA’s Broward Chapter hosted its Excellence in Education Gala, awarding 18 students with scholarships and recognizing Vicky Edgcomb as Teacher of the Year. As an instructor at South Broward High School, Edgcomb leads students through industry-derived curriculum, the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program (HTMP), which prepares students for roles in the hotel industry and beyond. Later in the year, Edgcomb identified a need for more student textbooks and FRLA’s Broward Chapter stepped up to provide the necessary materials for the program to continue. Additionally, the Broward Chapter hosted an internship fair for students across the county which gave them the opportunity to make connections with a dozen employers who help lead the industry. In total, the local chapter raised $35,000 for hospitality education.

“I love the hospitality field because it is such a growth area in this part of the country and it is the perfect field for students who want an exciting career that knows no boundaries,” said Edgcomb. “I would like to thank the FRLA for providing resources, phenomenal business partners and field trip opportunities for the students.  You will never know how important this is to their growth overall.”

This year, FRLA’s Broward Chapter will host its 6th Annual Excellence in Education Gala on Wednesday, April 8th, at the historic Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, Florida, to once again honor teachers, schools and award scholarships to promising students pursuing hospitality careers.  The keynote speaker will be Broward Superintendent of Schools, Robert Runcie.  The local chapter recently announced scholarship opportunities for students graduating in 2015, who are eligible to receive awards at the event. For more information about available scholarships, please contact Broward Chapter Director, Anne Sallee at asallee@frla.org or FRLAEF Director Laura Rumer at lrumer@frla.org.

To learn more about FRLA’s Broward Chapter, please visithttp://frla.org/chapters/broward/welcome.

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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA is Florida’s premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association. Our mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s $76.1 billion hospitality industry which represents 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.6 billion in sales tax revenue, and nearly 1.1 million employees – making it the state’s number one industry. We offer regulatory compliance and food safety training needs (RCS and SafeStaff®); industry developed career-building high school programs (FRLAEF); sponsor the only event in Florida exclusively serving the restaurant and foodservice industry (FR&L Show, October 6-8, 2015 in Orlando); and we safeguard the needs of the hospitality industry by providing legislative advocacy. We represent and serve more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go towww.FRLA.org and find us on Twitter @FRLAnews, Facebook and YouTube.