Cumberland Farms Invests in Class of 2016 - Providing Believe and Achieve Scholarships to Rising High School Seniors

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cumberland Farms today announced that for the 10^th consecutive year the company is now accepting applications for the Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program, which will once again be providing critical financial assistance to more than one hundred bright and ambitious high school seniors from across its eight state service area in the fall of 2016. Since founding the popular scholarship program in 2006, Cumberland Farms has already provided more than $1 million dollars in scholarships to over 1,000 college-bound students. The 2016 application period runs from now until December 15^th.

"We believe in today's youth and we want to make a difference in their lives, so we could not be more excited to once again be accepting applications for the Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program," said Ari Haseotes, CEO of the Cumberland Gulf Group of Companies. "Our effort to help young people achieve their dreams of attending college stems directly from our commitment to be part of the fabric of the communities we serve."

The Believe and Achieve Scholarship program, created specifically to support the development of young students, provides $1,000 scholarships to 130 eligible graduating high school seniors each year. In 2015, the company awarded $130,000 in Believe and Achieve Scholarships to students from Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Cumberland Farms will also designate one special Believe and Achieve Scholarship winner as the "Haseotes Scholar." Named for the founders of the company, the Haseotes Scholar Award is presented to the student who best exemplifies Cumberland Farms' values of hard work, achievement and commitment to community.

"I encourage all eligible students to apply; it has definitely helped make my ambition to attend college a reality, and I'm deeply appreciative of Cumby's help and commitment to young people like me," said 2015 Haseotes Scholar, Justine Levesque of Windham, New Hampshire, now a student at Merrimack College.

The program is open to students entering a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited college, university or vocational-technical school in the fall of 2016 who live within 30 miles of any Cumberland Farms location.  For more information and to apply for 2016 scholarships, visit here.

Thanks to the help provided by these scholarships, past Believe and Achieve winners have been able to attend a wide cross section of institutions, including Cornell, Yale, Merrimack College, the University of Michigan, University of Miami, Rutgers, the University of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Stanford and more. Scholarships are awarded based on a student's academic performance, as well as financial need. Winners will be notified in the spring of 2016.

Since formalizing its "Doing Good" Corporate Giving Program nine years ago, Cumberland Farms has donated millions of dollars in cash and products to causes that directly benefit thousands of young people through scholarships, direct-to-school programs, youth sports, local fundraising and more. Information about the Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program, including entry criteria, is available online at https://cumberlandfarms.scholarshipamerica.org/.

About Cumberland Farms
Cumberland Farms makes life easier for busy people every day. What started in 1939 with a cow and a dream has grown into a network of convenience stores across 8 states. Three generations later, Cumberland Farms is still family owned and operated, and continues to reflect the values it was built upon: envisioning a better way to serve customers by providing the best possible products at the best possible prices. Whether you're buying a cold Chill Zone drink, a hot or iced cup of Farmhouse Blend Coffee, or filling the gas tank, convenience and customer service are key. Cumberland Farms also has a long heritage of giving back to the communities where it operates, from feeding the hungry and serving the disabled, to supporting local sports teams and fundraising. For more information, please visit us at www.cumberlandfarms.com or follow us on Twitter here.

Media Contact:  For more information contact Derek Beckwith or Will Clark at Warner Communications 978-526-1960 or [email protected] or [email protected].

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SOURCE Cumberland Farms

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