The scholarship program is an extension of the company's mission to serve its customers, Gries said, while giving back to those who dedicate their lives to protecting ours.
Kylie Soniak was just 2 years old when her father Joe was severely burned battling a Thanksgiving Day house fire with the Norfolk Fire Department in 2003. Joe ultimately returned to the force and retired after 23 years. Today, he runs a business centered around fire prevention, while Kylie is studying to be a veterinarian at Perdue University. She received a $5,000 scholarship from the Mission Give Back® Foundation last year.
“My dad is like this ‘forever child,’” she said recently.“ He has this radiance to him – such a positive outlook on life and what you can do with it.”
