FORT WORTH, Texas, Nov. 06, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This morning, Smithfield partnered with Kroger and Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) to donate 25,000 pounds of protein to the Tarrant Area Food Bank to help serve North Texas communities. This considerable donation, in celebration of the race weekend in Fort Worth, Texas, was part of Smithfield’s Helping Hungry Homes tour, the company’s coast-to-coast effort to help families and individuals become more food secure.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...661f3508f6
“The King” Richard Petty and RPM’s No. 43 driver Aric Almirola, who have partnered with the Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes program to donate thousands of pounds of protein over recent years, were present to discuss the importance of these donations from Smithfield and to raise awareness about the necessity of providing assistance to our neighbors in need. Smithfield is the primary sponsor of the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford race team.
Petty and Almirola joined representatives from Smithfield and Kroger to present the donation to Tarrant Area Food Bank on Friday, November 6 at 9:30 a.m. at the Kroger store located at 3300 Texas Sage Trail, Fort Worth, TX 76177.
“With meat being one of the more expensive sources of protein and less often donated than other protein-rich foods, Tarrant Area Food Bank is especially grateful for Smithfield’s donation of 25,000 pounds of meat,” said Bo Soderbergh, Executive Director for Tarrant Area Food Bank. “This donation will provide protein for approximately 100,000 or more servings.”
“Kroger is pleased to see such a significant donation of protein to the Tarrant Area Food Bank,” said Gary Huddleston, Kroger Director of Public Affairs. “Shelf-stable items are the most common type of food donation, so it’s great for the Food Bank to have fresh protein for its clients. We salute Smithfield for their generosity and for the difference they are making in our community.”
“Smithfield has made more than 240 donations across the country under the company’s Helping Hungry Homes program. Through this donation, we will provide more than 100,000 servings of much-needed protein to families in North Texas,” said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. “We’re proud to partner with Kroger and RPM to make this significant donation that will help alleviate hunger in the North Texas area.”
“The No. 43 RPM team is honored to participate in this donation with our sponsor, Smithfield,” said No. 43 team owner Richard Petty. “So many race fans are loyal customers of Smithfield and shop at Kroger, so it’s great to see the two organizations partnering to give back to the communities that support them, and our race team, throughout the year.”
Smithfield Foods has a long history of stocking food banks, supporting after-school nutrition programs and providing food relief in the wake of natural disasters. In January 2008, Smithfield established its Helping Hungry Homes ® initiative to help ensure that American families in need do not go hungry.
About Tarrant Area Food Bank Tarrant Area Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a primary source of donated food for 300 major hunger-relief programs in Fort Worth, Texas and 13 surrounding counties. In FY 2015, Tarrant Area Food Bank and its partner pantries and meal sites, mobile pantries and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) counseling provided access to 23.6 million nutritious meals worth of food. Of all individuals served, over 40 percent are children. Learn more at TAFB.org and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About Kroger Southwest The Kroger Southwest Division operates 217 stores, 211 pharmacies and 130 fuel centers in Texas and Louisiana and is part of one of the nation’s largest retail grocery chains serving customers in 34 states and the District of Columbia. For more than 125 years, Kroger has emphasized a customer-first approach to providing quality products, value pricing, outstanding service and an exceptional shopping experience. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, the supermarket retailer is dedicated to making a difference in the communities it serves by supporting hunger relief, education, health and wellness, and diversity programs. Resulting from the retailer’s philanthropic commitment, Forbes magazine lists Kroger as the most generous company in America. For more information about Kroger, download the free Kroger Mobile App or connect on kroger.com , Facebook or Twitter .
About The Kroger Co. Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs more than 375,000 associates who serve customers in 2,640 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 786 convenience stores, 320 fine jewelry stores, 1,240 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and grassroots organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 80 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club .
About Richard Petty Motorsports A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
About Smithfield A leading provider of high-quality pork products, Smithfield was founded in 1936 in Smithfield, Virginia, establishing the town as the “Ham Capital of the World.” From hand-trimmed bacon to slow-smoked holiday hams, Smithfield brings artistry, authenticity and a commitment to heritage, flavor, and handcrafted excellence to everything it produces. With a vast product portfolio including smoked meats, hams, bacon, sausage, and fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the Unites States and 30 countries abroad. All of Smithfield's products meet the highest quality and safety standards in the industry. To learn more about how Flavor Hails from Smithfield, please visit www.Smithfield.com , www.Twitter.com/SmithfieldBrand , and www.Facebook.com/CookingWithSmithfield . Smithfield is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan's Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com .
Media Contacts: Hunter PR for Smithfield Melody Palatucci (212) 679-6600 mpalatucci@hunterpr.com Hunter PR for Smithfield Michael Bernardini (212) 679-6600 mbernardini@hunterpr.com Smithfield Diana Souder (757) 357-1675 dsouder@smithfield.com Breaking Limits for RPM Heather Lumpp (847) 302-5509 hlumpp@breakinglimits.net Kroger Jennifer Wersal (817) 614-3228 jennifer.wersal@kroger.com Tarrant Area Food Bank Andrea Helms (817) 857-7120 andrea.helms@tafb.org
