Ecolab Inc. helped raise more than $200,000 for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) during the 16th Annual Ecolab Chairman's Reception, held the evening of Sunday, May 20, in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago.

More than 750 restaurant and foodservice industry leaders attended the gala, which benefits the NRAEF ProStart® program, a nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and industry to develop the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders.

“Every year, more than 140,000 students across all 50 states, Guam and Department of Defense Education Activity Schools in Europe and the Pacific gain training and hands-on experience through ProStart to become the industry’s future leaders,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We are proud to support the NRAEF’s efforts to develop students and facilitate opportunities across the country.”

At the conclusion of the event, Baker and Michael Hickey, Ecolab executive vice president and president, Global Institutional, and past-chair of the NRAEF board of trustees, presented Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association and NRAEF president and CEO, Rob Gifford, NRAEF executive vice president, and Sam J. Facchini, chair of the NRAEF board of trustees, with a check for $201,370 on behalf of Ecolab and gala attendees.

“Ecolab’s commitment to the future of the restaurant industry is exemplary. We are grateful for their generous financial support of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the ProStart program and for Ecolab’s employees who selflessly volunteer their time to support ProStart programs throughout the nation,” said Sweeney. “Restaurant jobs give employees a stepping stone to a brighter future, and we are proud to partner with Ecolab in this endeavor.”

Through this annual event, Ecolab has helped raise more than $1.9 million for the NRAEF and the ProStart program.

About the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development and community engagement efforts.

The NRAEF and its programs work to attract, empower and advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based organizations to provide “opportunity youth” with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and, the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship project – a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information, visit ChooseRestaurant.org.

About Ecolab
A trusted partner at nearly three million customer locations, Ecolab (ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources. With annual sales of $14 billion and 48,000 associates, Ecolab delivers comprehensive solutions, data-driven insights and on-site service to promote safe food, maintain clean environments, optimize water and energy use and improve operational efficiencies for customers in the food, healthcare, energy, hospitality and industrial markets in more than 170 countries around the world. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.

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(ECL-C)