SANFORD - Bojangles' - Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc. has donated $1,000 toward scholarships for the Veterans Upward Bound program at Central Carolina Community College.

Veterans Upward Bound is a federal grant program designed to motivate and assist veterans in the development of academic and other requisite skills necessary for acceptance and success in a program of postsecondary education.

Emily Hare, Executive Director of the CCCC Foundation, says the Foundation is thrilled to have the financial support of the Randolph Restaurant Group for the Veterans Upward Bound program. "This partnership helps illustrate CCCC's desire to assist veterans in their quest to achieve their desired educational goals," Hare said. "We are excited about the scholarships and look forward to the impact it will have on the lives of our veteran students."

Wilson Lester, Outreach Coordinator for the CCCC Veterans Upward Bound program, noted that the Randolph Restaurant Group is passionate about veterans. "When I asked Operations Manager Patti Carithers-Daniels if she would be a part of our success in helping veterans return to college, she jumped at the opportunity," Lester said.

"These scholarship donations will help participants of the Veterans Upward Bound program in Wake, Johnston, Harnett, Chatham, and Lee counties attend the academic program of their choice at the school of their choice."

Ashley Tittemore, CCCC's Executive Director of College Access Programs, said of the donation: "Veterans Upward Bound appreciates the generous donation of scholarship funds by the Randolph Restaurant Group for our program's participants. Each of these scholarships will make a definite positive impact on the lives and educational trajectories of the students to whom they are awarded. We are extremely proud of this year's recipients and look forward to awarding additional scholarships to other participants of Veterans Upward Bound in the future."

Timothy K. Peedin, CCCC's Director of Veterans Upward Bound-TRiO Programs, noted: "The participants receiving these awards are just a few of the veterans in our program who have shown the potential to succeed and the need to benefit from every extra dollar toward their education. I know and have the confidence in each of them and look forward to their successes."

Patti Carithers-Daniels, Operations Manager for Bojangles' - Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc., said, "Our veterans are underdogs in today's world and we need to help the veterans as a thank you for what they have done for us. Not just on a special day like Veterans Day or Memorial Day, we need to honor them every day. Our contribution is a small way of us saying 'thank you' for their service."

"We like to help out in the community anyway we can," said Rob Maxey, District Manager of Bojangles' - Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc.

The Bojangles' - Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc. has North Carolina restaurants in Pittsboro and Siler City, as well as Lexington, Norwood, Randleman, and Troy. Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc., also has a restaurant in Wytheville, Va., and Princeton, W.Va.

For more information on the CCCC Veterans Upward Bound program, call 919-718-7463, email veteransub@cccc.edu, or visit the programs website www.cccc.edu/vub/.