LA NRI Hardy Grewal Most Generous Alumni Donor
who donated One Million dollar to Montreal University
One of the largest Subway developers and oversight of 2,100 Subway restaurants

Los Angeles, Oct. 01, 2017
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

Hardy Grewal, CEO of Subway Franchises Los Angeles County, who started out as a Subway franchise with one location, sold several locations to buy the rights to all of the L.A. County franchises.Patwant Kaur Grewal, his wife was in charge of the restaurant, while he worked a job in finance. Now Hardeep (Hardy) Grewal,  is one of the largest Subway developers and oversight of 2,100 Subway restaurant franchises in North America.

In 1989, Hardy Grewal, became Subway's largest U.S. development agent and a Subway franchise owner . He is in partnership with his nephew, Bob, 38, who became an official franchisee in 2002, and his sons, Jesse, 29, and Shawn, 24. Combined, they have more than 2,100 restaurants in Los Angeles and Orange County, Washington, D.C, part of Maryland, the whole state of Virginia and Southwestern Ontario, Canada. "It was a simple business where you don't have to cook and just make money and deposit it in the bank," Grewal said."Along with hard work, he credits education for his success." OHCAL Foods, LLC Los Angeles County 636 Restaurants Grewal Foods OC, LLC Orange County 237 Restaurants OHCAL Foods Canada Ontario, Canada 272 Restaurants OHCAL Mid-Atlantic DC/VA/MD 918 Restaurants

In 1972,  at  the age of 17 with only $7 in his pocket, Hardy Grewal arrived in Montreal from a small village of Ludhiana, Punjab, India, to join his brother (also uncle)  who arrived in Canada in 1969.

Hardy Grewal said, “I came to Montreal and three days later I was in high school. I couldn’t speak English or French. I was terrified and didn’t want to go.”
"My family was always talking about education. That was my motivation," Hardy Grewal said. "Nobody can take that away from you."

--At the age of 19,  Hardy Grewal started to take classes at McGill but dropped  because he couldn’t manage classes and work at the same time. --Later on another school, Concordia understood his situation  and allowed him to graduate. This is the reason, he was always respect and loyal to the University --Grewal drove a taxi at night and started to take classes in day time in  Concordia College. One time, he was held up at gunpoint by someone fleeing the scene of a bank robbery.

In recognition for the gift, Concordia has renamed the atrium in the business school in his and his wife's honour: It is to be called the Hardeep (Hardy) Singh Grewal and Patwant Kaur Grewal Atrium.

• After three years of taking classes year-round, Grewal received “the gift of a Concordia education.”  Hardy’s photo as it appeared in Concordia’s yearbook
•  He started to work for an investment company in Montreal.

$1 million donation to endow scholarships at Concordia’s Business (JMSB) School: Hardy Grewal donated $1 million to endow scholarships at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business (JMSB).

Concordia President Alan Shepard said: Concordia’s MBA program is a gold standard, in Canada and internationally. There’s a circular effect. Many JMSB graduates do incredibly well. One way they show appreciation is by supporting Concordia students, who are in turn equally successful, and it keeps perpetuating. Bram Freedman, Concordia’s vice-president of Advancement and External Relations said: Hardy’s life was transformed through education. Such a significant gift has the capacity of creating a multiplier effect. There will be future generations of business leaders who can be traced back to this generous donation.

Hardy Grewal’s family, including wife Patwant and his three sons expressed their gratitude to Concordia with a gift to create the Hardeep Grewal MBA Scholarship Endowment at JMSB, which will produce opportunities for future students.

Hardy Grewal said in his speech:

• My father and mother were farmers in India with only elementary school learning.
• Their dream for my three siblings and me was to get an education. It lasts your entire life.
• They also instilled values and have served him throughout his career: to work hard and to be honest with others.
• I started at McGill, though I left because I couldn’t manage class and work at the same time.
• Concordia understood my situation. They took me in. That’s why I’ve always been loyal to the university.
• Just have a great work ethic-"Work hard, and you'll get anywhere."

"I achieved with hard work what I wanted to accomplish: my parents' dream to get an education," Grewal said at a ceremony at the university

Who are the Grewals?

Who is a Grewal? is a basic question about Grewal NRI  identity and considerations of Grewal self-identification. This clan basically belongs to the Ludhiana district where it has about 75 villages and population over 45,000. The question is based on ideas about Grewal  personhood, which have Punjab's best-educated Sikhs group, cultural, political, genealogical, and personal dimensions.

• Historically, Grewals have typically been more educated than the average population of the Punjab in which they have lived. They have also tended to be concentrated in urban areas and in a number of skilled occupations such as teaching, military officers, engineers and doctors..etc.
• “Grewals voluntarily segregated from the rest of the population and also encouraged them to invest in human capital that would give them the flexibility to choose  education field, “ said A. gary Singh Grewal

Why GREWALs Like Donating to Universities: the Few Reasons.

• Grewals are working to make sure every child goes to school. They help to build schools, train teachers and specially girl’s education. Return is most profound when taking into account the impact of educating girls. The impact of school on a woman’s earning power is linked directly to higher economic growth....... according to UNESCO.
• Educating children empowers the next generation with the life skills to transform their lives, the lives of their children and their communities.
• Education may provide the highest return of any social investment.

In September 8, 2014, Harvard University received the largest alumni donation in its 378-year history when alumnus Gerald Chan gave a whopping $350 million to the School of Public Health.

• In UK,  On average £10 billion is donated every year to a wide variety of causes.
• In USA, Charitable Donations Rise to New High of $390.05 Billion in 2016 as compare to $379.89 billion for total giving in 2015

-----------------References: Hardy Grewal/Gary Grewal/ entrepreneur.com//ca.news//Concordia.ca

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