ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Tyson Foods announced today a donation of 37,200 pounds of protein to Atlanta Community Food Bank. The donation will help reach the more than 800 non-profit hunger relief organizations served by the food bank and the more than 42,000 people utilizing the organization's emergency food services each week. Of the population served by Atlanta Community Food Bank, children account for an estimated 50 percent. The donation comes in celebration of the 18th Annual Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic. Tyson Foods is a sponsor of the series of events held Sept. 28-30 that includes a job fair, health fair and a high school band competition. It ends with a Saturday football game played between Tennessee State University and Florida A & M University at the Georgia Dome.
Tyson is expected to deliver its donation about 10:30 a.m. at Atlanta Community Food Bank at 732 E. Joseph Lowery Blvd. N.W. In celebration of the donation and the Atlanta Football Classic, the Douglas High School and Columbia High School bands are expected to perform. The bands are participating in Friday's Tyson Atlanta Classic Band Jamboree competition at the Georgia Dome.
Atlanta Community Food Bank Executive director Bill Bolling said the food bank relies on companies such as Tyson Foods to provide protein and other perishable donations. "Protein enables us to provide more balanced and nutritious meal options for our agencies," Boling said. "The donation from Tyson Foods allows us to continue our mission of fighting hunger by engaging, educating and empowering our community."
The Atlanta Community Food Bank serves an estimated 302,300 different people annually in its 38-county coverage area that includes the metro Atlanta area and north Georgia.
The donation is part of Tyson Foods and America's Second Harvest three-year partnership, through which Tyson Foods has pledged to donate at least 10 million pounds of protein to the nationwide food bank network and charitable domestic hunger-relief organization. The Atlanta Community Food Bank is a member of America's Second Harvest(r) - The Nation's Food Bank Network.
Protein is one of the most efficient and long lasting sources of energy. The chicken donated today is one of the most concentrated sources of protein -- an essential nutrient of life. The average person -- man, woman or child -- needs to eat about 0.4 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, every day. This is approximately equivalent to five ounces of chicken, beef or pork.
In June, Tyson facilities nationwide kicked off a new program to raise funds and awareness for the fight against childhood hunger. The program is called Powering the Spirit(tm) and involves three key components: local fund-raising through cooking and grilling events, sales of a specially produced Tyson cookbook featuring recipes from the kitchens of Tyson team members nationwide and donation of 75 percent of the proceeds of those fundraising efforts to the community where the money is raised.
About Hunger Relief Nationwide
Tyson has made significant impact in the fight against hunger nationwide through a partnership with Share Our Strength(r), and America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network. Share Our Strength is a nonprofit that inspires and organizes individuals and businesses to share their strengths in innovative ways to help end childhood hunger in America. America's Second Harvest is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with more than 200 food banks in its network.
Since Tyson's partnership with hunger relief organizations began in 2000, the company has provided more than 39 million pounds of chicken, beef and pork -- supplying more than 156 million meals with essential protein -- to benefit more than 400 hunger relief organizations across the U.S. Tyson has made a significant impact leading the fight against hunger through its ongoing partnerships with America's Second Harvest, Share Our Strength, Lift Up America and others.
According to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey released in August 2005 which studied conditions in 2004, the poverty rate in America rose by 4 percent to 35.9 million people, one-third of which are children. For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger go to www.tyson.com, http://www.secondharvest.org or www.strength.org.