HORIZON BEVERAGE DONATION TO THE MRA
ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, a reception at the South End restaurant Boston Chops celebrated Horizon Beverage Company’s landmark $8OK scholarship donation to the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Education Foundation (MRAEF), the largest donation in the organization’s history. The program included a check presentation to the MRAEF by Horizon Beverage representatives and acclaimed Boston chef Christopher Coombs (a MRAEF ProStart scholarship recipient), as well as brief remarks by MRAEF leadership and Doug Epstein, a fourth generation owner of Horizon Beverage Company, on behalf of his family and their company.
Horizon Beverage Company’s $8OK commitment will award $2OK in scholarships over the next four years at the MRAEF’s annual “Making the Future Bright Scholarship Awards Gala”. Beginning with its 2O15 spring gala, four Horizon Beverage scholarships will be awarded to students entering foodservice education programs. Recipients will be selected by a committee, including a representative from Horizon Beverage Company, and are determined by the quality of their applications, merit and commitment to the foodservice industry. With this donation, the Epstein family has partnered with the MRAEF to encourage the continued growth of Massachusetts’ hospitality industry by supporting education for the next generation of leaders.
“We are honored to partner with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. We share their ideals in supporting the restaurant community to grow and flourish; particularly focusing on young students who are looking to pursue a career in culinary arts. As a multigenerational family business, we take the long-view of our industry, and hope the scholarship seeds we sow today will help develop tomorrow’s leaders for our industry,” said Robert Epstein, Co-Chairman of Horizon. Added Jim Rubenstein, Co-Chairman of Horizon, “This scholarship fund is a tremendous way for us to give back to the restaurant community in the same way they have partnered with us for many years. Now we can directly offer help to those individuals who need that financial jump-start to a career in the food service business; and hopefully owning their own restaurant someday.”
