SANFORD - Bojangles' - Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc. has donated $1,000 toward the first of several 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 new 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 new scholarships that will be formed from the donations 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, Director of CCCC's TRiO Programs, Upward Bound Math and Science & Veterans Upward Bound, 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."

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."

The Bojangles' - Randolph Restaurant Group, Inc. has restaurants in Pittsboro and Siler City, as well as Lexington, Norwood, Randleman, and Troy.

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/.