Jamaican entrepreneur Lowell Hawthorne is using his 100 Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery and Grill stores in the United States to raise a minimum US$500,000 per year to support education projects in Jamaica.

Hawthorne announced the initiative on National Heroes’ Day at a reception at the Hilton Kingston Hotel hours after he received an Order of Distinction from the Jamaican government for service to commerce and community development.

The initiative, named ‘Pennies for Change’, is ostensibly a coin drive in all 100 Golden Krust locations across eight US states.

The funds raised, Hawthorne said, will be used to continue the Mavis Hawthorne Memorial Scholarship, established in memory of his late mother, and to develop a franchise programme in the University of the West Indies (UWI) curriculum.

“UWI and Golden Krust are working together to introduce the programme, which will prepare students to contribute to the management and growth of the lucrative franchise industry,” Golden Krust’s local publicists said in a news release. “The fund will also support selected educational projects in other Caribbean countries and the USA.”

‘Pennies for Change’ is Golden Krust’s latest initiative to improve lives through education. The company already offers scholarships in the United States and at Hawthorne’s alma mater – Oberlin High School, which is one of several educational institutions in Jamaica to benefit from the firm’s assistance.

Hawthorne also used the reception to affirm Golden Krust’s commitment to using only authentic Jamaican ingredients in all its restaurants and bakeries. He said that Golden Krust, which plans to expand into other US states and popular migrant destinations, will continue to import Jamaican produce and support local primary producers.

Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson congratulated Hawthorne on the award and said that his success was demonstrative of what could be achieved by maintaining focus and hard work. She said that Hawthorne’s commitment to excellence and positive values made him a great example for Jamaican youths to emulate.

Minister Henry-Wilson said she was confident that ‘Pennies for Change’ would go a far way in helping promising Jamaican students in the pursuit of their goals, and thanked Hawthorne for his continued efforts to help fellow Jamaicans.