TANNERSVILLE, Pa., July 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration of the upcoming race weekend in Pocono, Smithfield will donate 25,000 pounds of protein to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley & Northeast Pennsylvania in partnership with Weis Markets and Richard Petty Motorsports to help serve the Pocono and Lehigh Valley communities. This significant donation is part of Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes tour, the company's coast-to-coast effort to help families and individuals become more food secure.
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Racing legend Richard Petty, who has partnered with Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes program to donate thousands of pounds of protein over recent years, will be 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 sponsors the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Ford race team.
Representatives from Smithfield and Weis Markets will present the donation to Second Harvest Food Bank on Saturday, August 1 at the Weis Market located at Tannersville Plaza on Route 611, Tannersville, Pa. In addition, the first 50 race fans to arrive will receive a wristband to participate in an on-site autograph session with "The King" following the donation presentation.
"We are grateful for our partnership with Weis Markets and are especially moved by the generous donation from Smithfield that will help us continue, through our 200 community partners, to meet the needs of the nearly 70,000 neighbors requiring food assistance in the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania," said Paul Lynch, Director of Second Harvest Food Bank.
"We are proud to partner with Smithfield and Richard Petty Motorsports in this donation benefitting the Second Harvest Food Bank," said Richard Gunn, Weis Markets' Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing. "As a company, we are dedicated to supporting food banks throughout the five states in which we operate to help put an end to hunger. We strongly believe in giving back to the communities we serve. This substantial donation will have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people throughout northeast Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley."
"Smithfield has made more than 230 donations across the country under the company's Helping Hungry Homes program. Through this donation, we will provide more than 100,000 servings of protein to families in Northeast Pennsylvania," said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. "We're proud to partner with Weis Markets and work together to help alleviate hunger in Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania."
"The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports 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 Weis, so it's great to see them giving back to 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 their Helping Hungry Homes initiatives to help ensure that American families in need do not go hungry.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley & NEPA
Second Harvest Food Bank distributes food and grocery product to more than 67,000 people in need per month through a network of more than 200 member agencies in Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, and Wayne counties. These agencies include emergency pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, child-care and rehabilitation centers. Last year, Second Harvest distributed more than 7 million pounds of food to people in need through these organizations. As part of its mission, the Food Bank also provides resources for education and advocacy to end hunger. Second Harvest Food Bank is a program of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV) and is a member of Feeding America, the nation's food bank network and largest hunger relief organization. For more information, visit www.shfblv.org and www.caclv.org.
About Weis Markets
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. (NYSE:WMK) is a Mid Atlantic food retailer operating 163 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and West Virginia. For more information, please visit: WeisMarkets.com or Facebook.com/WeisMarkets.
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.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
