Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association Education Trust

The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association supports food industry education Trust supports food industry educational programs and activities in the Commonwealth. The Trust also provides direct scholarship grants to students through the Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship.

History
In 1995, PFMA and the Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council (PCSC) formed a partnership with the Pittsburgh Association of Manufacturers Representatives (PAMR) and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Food Council (NWPFC) to hold an annual fund raising dinner to benefit the Thomas R. Ridge Scholarship Fund.

The Ridge Fund honors former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge's father, who was a member of the food industry for 25 years. In 2001, the scholarship committee decided to include Tom Ridge's mother, Laura, in the scholarship's name, since she was also a great advocate of education for Governor Ridge, his brother David and sister Vikki.

The Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship Fund is used to provide direct scholarship grants to college and graduate students. Children of PAMR, PCSC, PFMA and NWPFC members, in addition to member companies' employees, are eligible to apply for the $2,000 scholarships. An independent judging panel selects the scholarship recipients each year. Since 1996, 540 students have received Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarships, totaling more than $1 million, to continue their education.

The Ridge Fund is supported by all segments of the food industry - wholesalers, brokers, vendors, manufacturers' representatives and retailers.

PFMA's Education Trust will announce the 2010-11 scholarship recipients the week of April 19, 2010. The application deadline has passed. Please check back in November for the 2011-2012 scholarship application.