"I consider

my employees to be like family. I take a special interest in helping them

achieve their potential and encouraging them to further their education,"

said Mickey. "Berdary, Diana and Hannah are important members of

our team and their leadership skills played a crucial role in helping

our restaurant and the Chick-fil-A chain continue to achieve record growth."

The scholarship

money will be used to defray expenses at Georgia Medical Institute, where

Charlestin is studying massage therapy; at Griffin Technical Institute,

where Daniel is pursuing accounting; and at Gordon College, where Hauke

is majoring in early childhood education.

To date, Georgia

has received more than $4.1 million of the more than $17.5 million in

scholarships awarded nationwide since the program's inception in 1973.

Restaurant

employees must complete their high school education, remain active in

their school and community, demonstrate a solid work ethic and good teamwork,

and possess strong leadership abilities and a desire to succeed to be

eligible for the Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarship. Since 1973, nearly

17,600 Chick-fil-A restaurant employees have benefited from the program

created by Truett Cathy, founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc.

"Awarding

scholarships is one way to express our appreciation to restaurant employees

who show us that our youth can and do make a difference not only in the

workplace, but also in their schools and communitites," said Cathy.

"Obtaining additional education will help these students continue

along their paths of achievement."

Nearly 22 percent

of current Chick-fil-A Operators have received a Chick-fil-A Leadership

Scholarship and are perfect examples of the impact the scholarship program

can have on a restaurant employee's future. Chick-fil-A scholarship recipients

have attended approximately 2,000 institutions of higher learning across

North America, and work in almost every profession and field of endeavor

from engineers to ministers to doctors.

Other facets

of the Chick-fil-A scholarship program include the annual S. Truett Cathy

Scholar Award, first implemented in 1997 in honor of the program's 25th

anniversary and named after Cathy, who founded the company's scholarship

program. Additional $1,000 scholarships are awarded each year to the top

25 Leadership Scholarship recipients, as judged by a blue-ribbon panel.

In addition,

$24,000 co-op scholarships are available to restaurant employees interested

in attending Berry College in Rome. Funded through Berry College and the

Cathy-created WinShape Centre Foundation, more than 820 students have

benefited from the scholarships since 1984.

The first Chick-fil-A

restaurant opened in 1967 in Atlanta's Greenbriar Mall. Employee loyalty,

customer satisfaction, and product superiority have helped Atlanta-based

Chick-fil-A become the third-largest quick-service chicken restaurant

chain based on annual sales, with more than 1,080 restaurants in 35 states

and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available on the chain's

Web site, at www.chick-fil-a.com.