Families Receive $41,410 in Scholarships

Four companies showed their commitment to Pennsylvania families at a check presentation event hosted by St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School System today.

CSX Transportation, Grane Health Care, RBC Capital Markets and Williams- Transco Pipeline were able to provide scholarships to Northern Pennsylvania families because of their participation in Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program. The business executives were on hand and made the announcement of $41,410 of EITC scholarship donations for qualified families who attend St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School System, St. Bernards, Paint & Play, Elk County Catholic and DuBois Central Catholic.

Senator Joe Scarnati and Representative Matt Gabler were also in attendance. Teachers, families and students attended the event to thank the donors for their tuition assistance and to thank their local elected officials for their support of the EITC Program.

Bridge Educational Foundation serves as the bridge between Pennsylvania’s employers and students. More than 5,300 Pennsylvania families spread out across 48 counties have received scholarship assistance through the Bridge Foundation. Peter Gleason Chairman of the Bridge Educational Foundation offered remarks, “The EITC is an extremely successful public-private partnership and it provides companies the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of families where they do business.”

Mary Meyer of the St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary System remarked, “Our children are the most valuable asset that Pennsylvania has. An investment in them is an investment in the future of our state. The EITC program does just that by providing scholarship funds for families in need. In our local Catholic schools, approximately 50% of our families receive financial help and EITC is part of that equation. We are very grateful for the Pennsylvania EITC initiative.”

Randy Cheetham, Regional Vice President of Government Affairs for CSX Transportation, remarked, “CSX Transportation is pleased to support the work of the Bridge Educational Foundation, creating educational opportunities for students across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit program offers another avenue for CSXT and its employees to make a difference in the communities it serves.”

“Grane Health Care is proud to partner with the Bridge Educational Foundation to provide scholarship opportunities to families in Northern Pennsylvania. Providing strong educational opportunities for the children of Pennsylvania is a key to our state’s future growth and prosperity. I commend the elected officials present today for supporting this public-private partnership” stated Ross Nese, Managing Partner of Grane Health Care.

"Realizing the importance of education on our children’s future, RBC Capital Markets continually focuses on promoting educational programs for children in the communities in which we do business across the U.S.," said Henry Sallusti of RBC Capital Markets and also a Bridge Educational Foundation Board Member. "And, over the past four years, we are proud to have donated scholarships to many families throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania toward local PREK and K-12 education through the EITC program."

Cindy Ivey, Public Outreach Coordinator for Williams - Transco Pipeline remarked, “Transco appreciates the opportunity to actively participate in Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program. The EITC provides Transco additional opportunities to assist families in the locations where we live and work. I thank Senator Scarnati and Representative Gabler for creating this wonderful program and I look forward to helping more Pennsylvania families with Transco’s EITC donations.”

Senator Joe Scarnati noted, “The Bridge Educational Foundation and the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program have been a huge success and vital resource for Pennsylvania students and their families. It provides businesses with an opportunity to get involved in their community while helping to give children and parents more education options. The St. Mary’s Catholic Elementary School System is a great example of how students and families can see life-long results through pre-K programs, which helps young students get a head start on learning and excelling. Thanks to community-minded sponsors, more than 20,000 children across Pennsylvania are benefiting from EITC scholarships and countless numbers of children are being exposed to innovative programs that would have likely have gone unfunded. I’m proud to support this innovation and investment in our kids.”

Representative Matt Gabler noted, “At my own alma mater and at schools across Elk and Clearfield Counties, a substantial number of students receive scholarships through EITC programs, making their families' educational choices possible. I am always proud to support the EITC program because it has been one of Pennsylvania's greatest success stories in education. I applaud and thank the Bridge Educational Foundation and today's donors whose generosity made today's event and so many outstanding educational opportunities possible for so many students.”

Joseph Gerdes of the Bridge Educational Foundation concluded the program, “We are pleased be a part of one of the most innovative and successful education programs in the county. Our partnerships with forward-thinking corporations make it possible to help thousands of families each year with tuition aid. The EITC Program is vital to families and communities across Pennsylvania and we are pleased that Senator Scarnati and Representatives Gabler have strongly supported its creation and expansion. We are hopeful that with their leadership the cuts the Program recently suffered will be restored.”

e-mail from Bridge Educational Foundation