Wendy's High School Heisman Award Opens Application and Opportunities to 2016 Senior Class

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Jul 06, 2015, 08:30 ET

DUBLIN, Ohio, July 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Wendy's^® High School Heisman^® Award, which honors outstanding scholar-athletes for their commitment to academic achievement, community service and athletic prowess, continues to give recognition to high school seniors. New this year, State Winners will be awarded with a $1,000 donation to their high school. Students have until October 2, 2015 to complete the new online application for the Award. The first 1,000 students to submit an application online at www.WendysHighSchoolHeisman.com will receive a Wendy's Gift Card valued at $10.

Wendy's High School Heisman is more than just an award, but an opportunity to join an ever-growing and distinguished group of past winners who set new standards for excellence in their communities, such as:

Zoe Alaniz – A national winner in 2012, Zoe went on to Texas A&M University, where she was recognized by her peers with the Class Stars Award for being one of the most outstanding students in her freshman class. Alaniz is pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics with honors and remains committed to community service and competing in the Southeastern Conference for her dive team. She will be taking her second medical service trip to Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, this summer, as the new leader of the Global Leaders on Valuable Efficacy organization.
Malia Cali – After winning the award in 2009, Cali went on to be a leader on the University of North Carolina cross country and track team, as well as a leader for Carolina Dreams, an organization that brings children from hospitals to sporting events. She also helped organize domestic and international service trips through Student-Athletes Leading Social Change (SALSC). Cali is following up her Biology degree as a medical student at Louisiana State University and remains dedicated to community service and spreading medical awareness. She serves as the public relations chair and counselor for Camp Tiger, a camp run by medical students for children with special needs, the president of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation interest group, and as secretary of Proteges, a group that provides mentorship opportunities for up and coming doctors at LSUHSC.
Blake Moore – A national winner in 1997, Moore was heralded for his success on and off the football field – capping his high school career off with inductions to the National Football Foundation and Ogden High School Halls of Fame. He continued his football career at Utah State University before joining the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Service Officer. Currently, Moore holds a fulfilling career as a strategy consultant and is pursuing a Master's degree in Predictive Analytics at Northwestern University while he and his family expect twin boys in November. Moore also teams up with his local Wendy's group to organize an annual community event to benefit the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

A partner award with the Heisman Trophy Trust and college football's acclaimed Heisman Memorial Trophy^®, the Heisman cachet impacts students at every phase of the Wendy's High School Heisman program. Nearly 50,000 scholar-athletes from across the country apply for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award each year. These applicants are then narrowed down in five phases, which feature some new distinctions and prizes for 2016. The selection process will begin in the end of October and run through December:

School Winners – One senior male and one senior female from every school will be selected as a "School Winner" and receive a school winner certificate and Heisman patch.
State Finalists – 10 senior males and 10 senior females from every state and the District of Columbia will advance to "State Finalists." Each State Finalist will receive a bronze medal, a "State Finalist" patch and a $25 Wendy's Gift Card.
State Winners – One senior male and one senior female from each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as "State Winners" and receive a silver medal, a "State Winner" patch and a $50 Wendy's Gift Card. And, new this year, each winners' high school will receive a $1,000 donation in the students' names – applies only to the 92 State Winners who do not go on to become National Finalists.
National Finalist – A judging panel will select 10 National Finalists from the 102 State Winners across the five Wendy's High School Heisman Regions. These finalists will receive an invitation to the Wendy's High School Heisman program and ceremony in New York City, a gold medal, a "National Finalist" patch and a $100 Wendy's Gift Card. Additionally, each finalists' high school will receive a $2,000 donation in their name – applies only to the 8 National Finalists who do not go on to become the National Winners.
National Award Winners – One senior male and one senior female will be named National Wendy's High School Heisman Winners and receive a personally engraved Wendy's High School Heisman Trophy, a "National Winner" patch, a $500 Wendy's Gift Card and a $5,000 donation to their high school in their names – not to mention an appearance on national television during ESPN's presentation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy ceremony.

Wendy's High School Heisman Winners are Game Changers
Created by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas in 1994, the Wendy's High School Heisman Award has honored more than 400,000 of the nation's most esteemed high school seniors who have been a part of the program for the past 22 years. Since its inception, Wendy's High School Heisman Award has awarded 250 National Finalists and 42 National Winners.

The Wendy's High School Heisman Award is a joint program between Wendy's and the Heisman Trophy Trust, host and custodians of the Heisman Memorial Trophy^®. Nolan Henry of Camas, WA, who will continue his heralded football career at Notre Dame, and Lauren Van Vlierbergen of Algonquin, IL, who is competing on the cross country and track and field teams at the University of Michigan, received the prestigious award last year.

For a complete list of past WHSH finalists and winners or more information about the program, students can visit www.WendysHighSchoolHeisman.com. Participants can also "Like" and follow Wendy's Heisman on Facebook and Twitter for any additional program details.

About Wendy's
The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ: WEN) is the world's third largest quick-service hamburger restaurant chain. The Wendy's system includes more than 6,500 restaurants in 29 countries and U.S. territories. For more information, visit www.wendys.com.

The Wendy's name and design and the Wendy's High School Heisman and design are trademarks of Quality Is Our Recipe, LLC. The Heisman Memorial Trophy, Heisman name and Heisman Trophy figure are registered trademarks of the Heisman Trophy Trust, used with permission.