Lactaid Funds Scholarship

Many if not most major businesses support charities, do community work, or lend their names to events. Many if not most businesses in the specialty food world, though, are so small that they either can't afford to do much of this work or don't do enough of it to make the news.

A college scholarship funded by Lactaid made me sit up and take notice.

The story, as reported in the Leesville, LA, Daily Leader, featured The Scholarships for Military Children Program, specifically one awarded to Shelby Iles.

Applicants for the 2009 program were required to maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average, participate in voluntary school and community activities, demonstrate leadership qualities, and write an essay on "What would you place in a time capsule to help people opening the capsule in the next century understand military life today. Explain you [sic] choices."

Let's assume Iles' essay was better proofread than the article.

The $1,500 college scholarship was awarded at the Fort Polk Commissary, one of 257 commissaries operated worldwide by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA).

And

Manufacturers and organizations that do business with the commissary system funded the scholarships with money ordinarily used for various other contests and promotions. Shelby’s scholarship at Fort Polk was funded through the generosity of Lactaid.

It's good to know that the commissary system recognizes lactose intolerance by doing business with Lactaid. And it's heartening to read that Lactaid gives a bit of it back to the community, in a fine form.

Congratulations to everyone involved.