When we first created Spread The Love®, our goals were so simple. For example, we were beyond excited if we sold enough jars of peanut butter to cover our costs from selling at the farmers market on a Sunday afternoon. Believe it or not, there were definitely some days we didn't.
As our business grew, so did our goals. We began to find real purpose in our work - not just a commitment to delivering a quality product to our #spreadthelovefam, but also in ways to uplift others in our own community. We created SPREAD THE LOVE FORWARD - our company's philanthropic arm that has supported a variety of Los Angeles non-profits with noble missions that include providing support to families in the brink of homelessness, vocational training for homeless adults and early childhood education for their children.
However, Zach didn't grow up in Los Angeles. Zach is from Racine, Wisconsin - a city with a population of about 80,000 people just south of Milwaukee. He's also a product of Racine's public-school system, which means that for 12 years, his hometown invested in his education. Zach thrived in school and ended up earning scholarships to go to the University of Miami. Shortly after graduation, he moved to Los Angeles.
But what does Racine get out of educating Zach only to have him move away? That was a question Zach's been asking himself for years. So this year, we decided to create the SPREAD THE LOVE FORWARD SCHOLARSHIP that would support graduating seniors from Racine's public schools with $1000 scholarships.
For our inaugural academic year, we awarded 3 outstanding Class of 2020 graduates from Horlick High School - Zach's alma mater. Finding an immediate and impactful way to support Racine's next generation of young leaders has been one of our proudest moments since starting Spread The Love®. And this is just the beginning. We have plans to increase the amount of scholarships awarded as early as next year to also include outstanding future graduates from other public high schools.
With immense pride, it's our honor and pleasure to introduce you to this year's very deserving and impressive scholarship recipients. Please meet Arianis, Andrea and Elena. A huge CONGRATS to you, young ladies and GOOD LUCK!
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| Arianis will be studying Biomedical Sciences at Carroll University (Waukesha, WI). | Andrea will also be attending UW-Parkside (Kenosha, WI) with plans to major in Science and Nursing. | Elena will be attending UW-Parkside (Kenosha, WI) to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. |