Glory Foods' Southern Foodways Scholarships Honor Memory of Co-Founder, Bill Williams

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A F GLORY FOODS HONORS MEMORY OF BILL WILLIAMS GLORY FOODS HONORS MEMORY OF BILL WILLIAMS Pictured at Scholarships awarded by Glory Foods and The Southern Foodways Alliance are: (L-R), Theresa Potter, Director of Sales Promotion & Marketing, ...

    COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southern Foodways Alliance
 (SFA) is a fantastic find for those interested in learning about the
 diverse food cultures of the American South. The late Bill Williams,
 president and co-founder of Glory Foods, Inc., a company that distributes
 conveniently prepared seasoned canned veggies, frozen family and single
 serve meals and fresh bagged vegetables, was a frequent attendee at the
 symposiums. Williams, a former chef and restaurant owner relished the
 camaraderie of food experts, chefs and academia who shared his love of
 Southern food and its rich history. Today, Williams is remembered fondly by
 SFA through Bill Williams Scholarships, awarded annually to minority
 students pursuing degrees in food and beverage, and nutritional health.
 "The partnership that Bill Williams established with the Southern Foodways
 Alliance has fostered a new generation of African American culinarians,
 young people who not only know their way around a kitchen, but know the
 roots of the culture from which the cookery came," said John T. Edge,
 director Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi, and a
 celebrated Southern Author ("Apple Pie and Fried Chicken," and "Southern
 Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South.").
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20061221/CLTH086 )
     The idea for the scholarships began with a phone conversation between
 Williams and Edge. Unfortunately, Williams did not see the program launch.
 He died unexpectedly in December 2001, and the program was launched in his
 honor in 2002. Students are selected to attend the 4-day session based on a
 well-written essay incorporating the symposium theme and food folklore on
 subjects such as: "Barbecue: Smoke, Sauce and History, "Southern Food in
 Black and White," "The Sweet Life -- Sugar in the South," and the more
 recent "Lifestyles and Foodways of the Gulf South from Florida to Texas."
 Winners receive an all-expense paid trip to the symposium, a stipend, a SFA
 mentor throughout their stay, and an opportunity to experience delicious
 cuisine prepared by Southern Chefs and local restaurants.
     Eleven winners, including current honorees, Desantra Baker and Berthsy
 A. Ayide (2006-07), have displayed the spirit and excellence Williams
 sought in young students. Baker, studies Hotel/Restaurant Management at
 Georgia Southern University, and plans to operate her own spa and
 restaurant. Berthsy A. Ayide, is pursuing her Masters in Nutrition and Food
 Studies at New York University, and plans to conduct research that examines
 America's food traditions and how it impacts nutrition. "Bill wanted
 students to understand there was more to agriculture and food science
 studies, than just working on a farm," said Theresa Potter, Glory's
 Director of Sales Promotion and Marketing. "Because of their experience at
 SFA, we've had students rethink their major and how they study food
 science," adds Potter.
     Bill Williams believed that the future belongs to a new generation of
 young men and women who will be responsible for defining, and managing our
 natural resources. Berthsy A. Ayide is a very good example of that thought.
 "I'm quite interested in our changing shorelines and water supply and how
 that effects our foodways," said Ayide.
     Bill Williams would be very proud of what he started!
     Visit: http://www.gloryfoods.com and http://www.southernfoodways.com
 for additional information.
 
 

SOURCE Glory Foods, Inc.