NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
16 June 2004

HARRISBURG HIGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY PREP PROGRAM BENEFITS FROM UPS FOUNDATION CHECK; MAJOR REGIONAL EMPLOYER DONATES OVER $10,000 TO INNOVATIVE BUSINESS EDUCATION PROGRAM

Harrisburg, PA—Harrisburg High School’s innovative School of Business and Industry Prep(SBI) received a substantial boost today as the United Parcel Service(UPS) Foundation presented a check for $10,812.00 to the business education program. The check was presented to Mayor Stephen R. Reed by UPS Vice President of Central Pennsylvania, Mary Gill, and the funds will be used to provide students with new laptop computers for use in conjunction with the SBI program.

UPS’s Gill said the Community Investment Grant is being provided by the UPS Foundation, which supports charitable endeavors in communities where UPS plants are located. The national foundation provided over $40 million last year to an array of national, state and local educational and charitable causes and activities.

“We are very pleased to be able to partner with the City of Harrisburg and the Harrisburg School District in helping to enhance our young peoples’ educational experiences and opportunities,” said Gill. “These are our future customers and, in some cases perhaps even our future workforce. So the more we can do to help them today to prepare for tomorrow, so much the better. We are truly delighted to be able to help”

Mayor Reed said the School of Business and Industry Prep is receiving more attention because workforce development issues have become more pressing in the midstate. SBI is committed to providing a thorough and demanding curriculum in business development and management, and has had a profound impact upon participating students, as well as the greater metropolitan area.

“This funding will help us secure the necessary laptop computers that our students so desperately need,” said the Mayor. “Many of our youngsters come from families of limited financial means who are unable to afford the high cost of a laptop, which in today’s business environment has become a necessity. The UPS Foundation’s generosity in this matter represents a fine investment in the future of our young people and their success in the business world.”

Harrisburg High’s School of Business and Industry Prep exists to provide city school students with practical, hands-on experience in the business world. Students study specialized business courses and are mentored by area business-persons. The SBI also runs a retail store in the Harrisburg Mall, where they sell various midstate high school athletic wear and other commemorative items.

The UPS Foundation was established in 1951 to develop and champion innovative solutions to social problems, said Mary Gill. “At UPS, we realize the “community” is not just where we live, but who we touch. Ours is a familiar face around the world, where we touch millions of lives each day by delivering services to over 200 countries and territories, and where the UPS Foundation fulfills its commitment of enriching those lives by creating health, vibrant communities through education, economic development and new opportunities.”

The UPS Foundation focuses on hunger, literacy and volunteerism. By making grants and contributing other resources, like volunteers, technical assistance and our expertise, The Foundation enables not-for-profit organizations to serve communities more effectively around the world.

The UPS Foundation is the charitable arm of UPS and is committed to making a lasting difference through hands-on, community based service. UPS employees live and work in the communities they serve, and learn first-hand where help is needed. Through volunteerism, community grants and creative programs, the focus is always on helping others in ways that work.

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