GROCER AWARDS $1,500 SCHOLARSHIP TO MISS ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY – HEATHER SMITH
Food Lion crowned Miss Elizabeth City State University, Heather Smith as Food Lion Miss CIAA 2012 during an awards ceremony today at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, N.C.
The grocer has sponsored the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Tournament for 18 years and is the title sponsor for the ever-popular Miss CIAA scholarship contest. Food Lion also sponsors the 2012 Food Lion CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Games.
Born in Beaufort, N.C., Smith is the youngest of three children. Smith is a senior majoring in Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics and seeks to become a school teacher and athletic coach who not only educates but has the ability to change communities and impact lives.
As winner of Food Lion’s Miss CIAA scholarship contest, she received a $2,500 scholarship. The first runner-up will receive a $700 scholarship and the second runner-up will receive a $300 scholarship.
“I’m excited and honored to be crowned Miss CIAA 2012,” Miss Elizabeth City State University – Heather Smith said shortly after learning of her big win. “I would like to thank the CIAA and Food Lion for continuing to support this program and providing myself and the other Queens with this great opportunity.”
Deborah Scales, Food Lion IT project manager and coordinator of this year’s Miss CIAA festivities, said Food Lion sponsors the scholarship contest to promote education in the communities in which it serves.
“We’re happy to give the young ladies this opportunity,” Scales said. “This year, we also especially promoted health and wellness, and these young ladies represented us in our Health & Wellness Symposium. We want the next group of Miss CIAA scholarship candidates to follow the lead of these future leaders in making sure that we have a healthy, diverse and educated world.”
The CIAA is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II athletic conference consisting mostly of historically African-American institutions of higher education. Each year, Food Lion contributes more than $300,000 to the CIAA, and a third of that amount goes toward scholarships for deserving students at CIAA schools. This year, the CIAA Tournament was held Feb. 27 through March 4.
About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., is a subsidiary of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group (NYSE: DEG) and operates more than 1,100 supermarkets. The company employs approximately 57,000 associates delivering quality products, low prices and service to customers in 10 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.
