SALISBURY, N.C. — Demonstrating tremendous commitment to the community, three former chief executive officers and the current president/CEO of Food Lion LLC gathered at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College to present a gift of $50,000 to RCCC’s Food Lion Endowed Scholarship Fund.

            The announcement of the gift came today during the college’s board of trustees’ monthly meeting. Food Lion President and CEO Rick Anicetti attended the meeting and announcement reception with the three past Food Lion chief executives – Ralph Ketner, Tom Smith and Bill McCanless. Each of the four executives personally contributed to the $50,000 gift.

            Since Food Lion created the endowed scholarship fund in 2003, 20 RCCC students have received $1,000 scholarships to help cover tuition, books and fees. Priority is given to students from Rowan and Cabarrus counties who are taking at least six credit hours and showing progress in their programs of study.

            The $50,000 gift to RCCC is in recognition of Food Lion’s 50th anniversary.

           “The support of continuing education is vitally critical to the health and well being of the communities in which we live. To that end, Food Lion is pleased and extremely proud to support Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and its deserving students,” Anicetti said.

            “I am also honored to join in this endeavor by the three former CEOs of Food Lion and current community leaders who paved the way for this important ‘giving’ ingredient in Food Lion’s company culture,” Anicetti said.

           Food Lion, then called Food Town, opened its first store in Salisbury in 1957. Over the course of 50 years, the company has grown into one of the largest and most successful supermarket chains in the United States. Food Lion LLC now operates approximately 1,300 stores in 11 states, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Bottom Dollar Food, Harveys and Reid’s.

            “Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is thankful and proud to receive this generous gift from Food Lion,” said RCCC President Richard Brownell. “Food Lion’s gift means an increased number of deserving RCCC students will receive scholarships to help them pay for their education.

            “We congratulate Food Lion on 50 years of business and service to its customers. From day one, Food Lion has been an exemplary corporate citizen and community partner. The college is fortunate to have Food Lion’s abiding support,” Brownell added.

           Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a comprehensive, community-based institution of higher learning, serving the citizens of Rowan and Cabarrus Counties. RCCC offers approximately 40 programs of study in business, health and human services and engineering technologies at multiple campus locations. RCCC annually provides more than 2,000 course offerings, serving an enrollment of approximately 20,000 adult students. RCCC programs include an associate degree in arts and sciences, an associate degree in applied science, and diploma and certificate programs focusing on workforce training, continuing education and basic skills education.

           In addition, RCCC provides the education and job-training programs needed to meet many of the workforce demands of the North Carolina Research Campus, under construction in Kannapolis, N.C.

           For complete details, see the RCCC website at www.rowancabarrus.edu.