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Contact: Idalia Fernandez
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Hispanic College Fund joins forces with Denny's

WASHINGTON, DC (August 14, 2002) — The Hispanic College Fund, Inc. (HCF) and Denny's, America's largest full-service family restaurant chain, have joined forces to provide much-needed scholarship funds to America's outstanding Hispanic students. Denny's three-year goal is to provide aspiring college students with $250,000 in scholarships. The Denny's donation also includes an additional $25,000 to sponsor the HCF Annual Scholarship Gala to be held October 3, 2002 in Washington, DC.

The HCF-Denny's scholarship program will provide a financial need-based scholarship to Hispanic students. To be eligible students must be: a U.S. citizen of Hispanic/Latino heritage; pursuing a bachelor's degree in a major related to business-engineering, technology, entrepreneurship or that leads to a career in business; be in good academic standing with a minimum 3.0 grade point average; be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student for a full academic year.

"Denny's has been providing education scholarship opportunities to Hispanic students since 1996," said Ray Hood-Phillips, Denny's chief diversity officer. "We are committed in a significant way to educating America's youth. By partnering with the Hispanic College Fund, we are assured our scholarship contributions will allow deserving members of the country's largest ethnic student population to continue their higher education and contribute to our nation's progress."

Denny's has been ranked among the top 10 leaders in corporate diversity by Fortune magazine in its annual ranking of "America's 50 Best Companies for Minorities" every year since 1998, including being ranked number one for two years in a row (2000 and 2001). Based on its corporate support of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility and the Hispanic Heritage Awards, Denny's is gaining recognition as a major supporter of the Latino community. In the area of employment, Hispanics now represent 31 percent of the company's workforce and 14 percent of its management. Denny's is the nation's largest full-service family restaurant chain with more than 1,700 locations in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Guam, Mexico, New Zealand and Puerto Rico.

The Hispanic College Fund is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of Hispanic business leaders in America. HCF has provided more than $1.5 million in scholarships to more than 1,000 Hispanic students in almost a decade of service.

A Grand Slam for Hispanic Students - Baseball star Sammy Sosa joins scholarship recipients Octavio Santiago (left) and Marco Selpulveda (right) and Dario Marquez, chairman of the Hispanic College Fund, (third from left) who accept a check for $250,000 from new corporate partner, Denny's restaurants. Nelson Marchioli, Denny's president and CEO, (third from right) and vice president Ed Hernandez (second from left) made the presentation during a recent Chicago Cubs game. The pledge will make college scholarships available to an estimated 250 Hispanic students over the next three years.

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