Farmland Donates $25,000 to Children’s Mercy Hos

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- February 17, 2017 – Representatives from Farmland, a brand of Smithfield Foods, presented a check for $25,000 to Children’s Mercy Hospital of Kansas City, MO, yesterday afternoon. This donation was made in honor of former Smithfield Foods Pork Group President, George H. Richter, and will support the hospital’s nationally recognized pediatric care services.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...4995349f29

Richter, a 43-year veteran of the meat industry, began his career with Farmland in 1971, and was appointed to company President in 1988. When Farmland was purchased by Smithfield Foods in 2003, Richter served as President of the organization’s Pork Group, until his retirement in 2014.

For more than 12 years, Richter and his family have been ongoing donors to the hospital and supporters of its mission. The Richter family has given special financial support to the expansion of the Northland Clinic, which has served over 500,000 patients since it opened its doors in 2003.

“As a parent, nothing is more important than one’s children. By providing compassionate and high-quality pediatric care to the children in our community, including to my own family, Children’s Mercy Hospital has become an essential cornerstone of where we live and has a special place in my heart,” said Richter. “This donation from Farmland will help the hospital continue to provide comprehensive care for our children, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

Since 1959, Farmland has been passionate about supporting communities throughout the Midwest. “Farmland was founded and built on the values of family and quality by leaders like Mr. Richter,” said Megan Thomas, senior brand manager for Smithfield Foods. “We are proud to honor him, and the entire Farmland family today, by supporting the Children’s Mercy Hospital.”  Farmland has donated to Children’s Mercy for over 45 years, dating all the way back to 1970.

A pillar in the Kansas City community for the past 120 years, Children’s Mercy Hospital is recognized as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country and known as a leader in pediatric specialties. “Children’s Mercy proudly helps all children and their families who walk through our doors,” said Lyndsay Bruns, philanthropic corporate giving manager of Children’s Mercy Hospital. “We’re humbled by the community-minded example set by Mr. Richter, and this generous donation from Farmland will help us continue to fight for better treatment for children and new frontiers in pediatric medicine.”

To learn how you can contribute or volunteer with the Children’s Mercy Hospital, please visit www.childrensmercy.org .

About Farmland Founded in 1959, Farmland is a maker of high-quality, popular consumer goods such as bacon and sausage, and serves retail and foodservice customers. To learn more about Farmland, please visit www.FarmlandFoods.com . Farmland is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $14 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®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. 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 .

About Children’s Mercy Hospital About Children’s Mercy Kansas City Founded in 1897, Children’s Mercy is one of the nation’s top pediatric medical centers. With not-for-profit hospitals in Missouri and Kansas, and numerous specialty clinics in both states, Children’s Mercy provides the highest level of care for children from birth through the age of 21. U.S. News & World Report has repeatedly ranked Children’s Mercy as one of “America's Best Children's Hospitals.” For the fourth time in a row, Children’s Mercy has achieved Magnet nursing designation, awarded to fewer than seven percent of all hospitals nationally, for excellence in quality care. Its faculty of more than 700 pediatric subspecialists and researchers across more than 40 subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research, and educating the next generation of pediatric subspecialists. Thanks to generous philanthropic and volunteer support, Children’s Mercy provides medical care to every child who passes through its doors, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. For more information about Children’s Mercy and its research, visit childrensmercy.org. For breaking news and videos, follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Media Contacts: Hunter PR for Farmland Morgan Calef (212) 679-6600 mcalef@hunterpr.com Children’s Mercy Kansas City Lyndsay Bruns (816) 302-0021 lnbruns@cmh.edu