St. Katharine Drexel School to receive large EITC Donation presented by State Senator Tomlinson

For Immediate Release - September 29, 2016

Local Families Receive Scholarship Assistance through the EITC Program

Holland, PA – (September 29, 2016) –Bridge Educational Foundation and its donors, Enterprise Holdings, Rent-A-Center, UnitedHealthcare and Waste Management, announced $143,000 in scholarships for Bucks County families today at St. Katharine Drexel Regional School. School officials and families attended the event to thank the scholarship donors. State Senator Tommy Tomlinson and State Representatives Scott Petri, Tina Davis, Frank Farry and Gene DiGirolamo participated in the presentation at the school to show their support for Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program.

Students attending the following schools will benefit from the scholarships; St. Katharine Drexel Regional, Archbishop Wood HS, Buckingham Friends School, Conwell-Egan Catholic HS, Holy Family Regional Catholic School, Newtown Friends School, Our Lady of Grace School, The Pen Ryn School, St. Charles of Borromeo School, St. Ephrem School, St. Joseph/St. Robert School, St. Michael the Archangel School, United Friends School

Natalie Nutt Executive Director of the Bridge Educational Foundation offered, “Our donors participate in the EITC Program because it allows their companies to give back to the communities where they work and live and simultaneously helps to provide educational opportunities to their future workforce.”

The scholarship donors in attendance at the presentation applauded the EITC Program. Bobby Keyes, Vice President/General Manager of Enterprise Holdings in Southeastern Pennsylvania, stated, “Enterprise Holdings believes strongly in the value of education. Our company has helped hundreds of families across Pennsylvania during the seven years we have participated in Pennsylvania’s EITC program. Our company is celebrating its 59th year in operation and is proud to support the communities that have made it successful over the past five decades.”

Greg Acquaviva of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of PA, offered, “Research shows that children who receive a solid education tend to grow into happier, healthier adults. UnitedHealthcare is proud to support programs like the Bridge Educational Foundation that ensures a greater number of children will have a better chance at getting a solid education and a head start on the path that leads to healthy through adulthood. We are grateful to join the local legislators that are present today, as well as the many other Bridge Foundation supporters.”

“Waste Management has a long history of donating to education. These investments to schools and educational programs help ensure the future of our communities by providing students with the opportunity to reach their full potential. As members of the community, we believe it is our job to live up to the highest standards of corporate and individual responsibility. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program in Pennsylvania is surely a win because it benefits the students who will become our future community leaders," stated Erika Young representing Waste Management.

Gary Charlesworth of Rent-A-Center said, "Educating our youth is the key to a strong economy. With EITC, Pennsylvania has created an innovative program that partners the public and private sector in this vital mission. The children this program helps are our future and deserve the best education we can offer."

Sen. Tomlinson noted, “Today’s donors have made a great commitment to the families of Bucks County and Pennsylvania as a whole by providing educational opportunities to our students. We greatly appreciate their dedication and willingness to partner with our community. Their support is even more important now as families are struggling to make ends meet. This funding will help those families continue to provide a quality education for their children.”

Rep. Petri quote

“The EITC is providing families in Bucks County and throughout Pennsylvania with a choice. The Program has paired community minded businesses, like Enterprise Holdings, Rent-A-Center, UnitedHealthcare and Waste Management, with families for more than a fifteen years. We hope that with the support of the local lawmakers the EITC will continue to grow and help families choose their best educational options for many decades to come.” concluded Natalie Nutt.

The scholarship donations announced today are part of the K-12 EITC Programs. The K-12 EITC tuition program provides companies with a 75 percent tax credit – 90 percent for a two-year commitment – for funds donated to approved, non-profit scholarship or educational improvement organizations businesses may donate up to $750,000 per year though the K-12 program.

For information on how to request scholarship funding please visit www.bridgeedu.org

and click on the scholarship tab.

Bridge Educational Foundation is a scholarship organization recognized as an approved 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization and was established under the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Foundation’s core mission is to partner families and schools with Pennsylvania businesses to provide scholarship opportunities throughout Pennsylvania. Based in Harrisburg, PA, Bridge Educational Foundation is currently one of the largest and most innovative scholarship organizations of its kind, raising $25 million to provide educational opportunities for low income families statewide. www.bridgeedu.org

About Enterprise Holdings

Founded in 1957, Enterprise Holdings is the most comprehensive service provider in the car rental industry, operating – through its regional subsidiaries – the Alamo Rent A Car and National Car Rental brands as well as its flagship Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in North America. In addition, the company currently operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in the UK, Germany and Ireland, and a licensee network that operates the National and Alamo brands throughout the Americas. Its worldwide network includes more than 7,700 neighborhood and airport locations, with 6,000 offices located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population – and more than twice as many locations as Enterprise Holdings’ nearest U.S. competitor

With annual revenues of $16 billion and more than 75,000 employees, Enterprise Holdings owns and operates more than 1.2 million cars and trucks, making it the largest car rental company in the world measured by revenue, employees and fleet. In addition, the company’s annual revenues place it near the top of the travel industry, exceeding many airlines and most cruise lines, hotels, tour operators and online travel agencies. Ranked No. 15 on the Forbes “Top 500 Private Companies in America” list, Enterprise Holdings is owned by the Taylor family and headquartered in St. Louis. Enterprise Holdings and its affiliates offer business and retail customers a total transportation solution, which includes hourly rental, car leasing, Enterprise Car Sharing and Enterprise Rideshare vanpooling programs, as well as the Enterprise Car Sales, Enterprise Commercial Trucks and Enterprise Fleet Management business lines. For more information about Enterprise Holdings, visit www.enterpriseholdings.com.

Beginning with one store in 1986 and rapidly expanding during the next 30 years, Rent-A-Center now owns and operates more than 2,500 stores in 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Mexico, has approximately 250 franchise locations, and an additional 1,400 retail partner locations across the U.S. operating as Acceptance Now. The company provides short-term rental and rent-to-own options for consumers who need merchandise for their homes with no need for credit or a long-term commitment. The corporate headquarters are located in Plano, Texas, as are the headquarters of its wholly owned franchise subsidiary, RACFI, Inc.

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

About Waste Management

Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive environmental services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also one of the largest residential recyclers and a leading developer, operator and owner of landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company’s customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more visit www.thinkgreen.com or www.wm.com

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Press Contact:

Lisa James

Cell Phone: 215-964-7723

Work Phone: 215-357-4720

Email: Ljames@skdschool.org