SMITHFIELD, Va., Nov. 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This morning, 106.9 The Fox (WAFX) and FM99 (WNOR) kicked off the 20th Annual Mayflower Marathon. Smithfield and Farm Fresh joined together to donate more than 400,000 servings of protein to the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore to assist with the efforts of this ‘round the clock food drive.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3aae792b-a71e-433a-b737-023fda4b3fac
Representatives from Smithfield, Farm Fresh, 106.9 The Fox, and FM99 presented the total donation of more than 100,000 pounds of protein to the food banks during events at the Coliseum Marketplace in Coliseum Central in Hampton and the Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach. Speakers discussed the importance of donations like this in Hampton Roads, where one in seven individuals struggle with hunger.
“Our motto for the Mayflower Marathon is ‘Every Can Counts and Every Dollar Makes a Difference’,” said Mike Beck, brand manager for WNOR and WAFX. “Our listeners and clients are very generous with their contribution of food, money, materials and time because they see the direct impact on the lives of families right here in Hampton Roads. We are proud supporters of the food banks!”
The Annual Mayflower Marathon is a 57-hour food drive from Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20 until 3 p.m., hosted at three locations throughout Virginia Beach, Suffolk, and Hampton, Va. All food and monetary donations collected in Virginia Beach and Suffolk will benefit the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, while donations made at the Hampton location will benefit the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank.
“The Foodbank could never help as many of our neighbors in need without the generous support of strong community partners like Smithfield and Farm Fresh,” said Michele Benson, chief development officer of Virginia Peninsula Foodbank. “Smithfield consistently provides us with healthy protein that is greatly needed, but incredibly difficult to obtain through other community food donations, and Farm Fresh offers us valuable canned and dry goods when our shelves are running low on those items.”
“We appreciate Smithfield and Farm Fresh for adopting our mission to eliminate hunger as part of their corporate philanthropic framework,” said Ruth Jones Nichols, chief executive officer of The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. “Their support and contributions are integral to our efforts and will help to meet the needs of the food insecure children and families that we serve daily.”
“Farm Fresh is very excited to partner with Smithfield in support of the Mayflower Marathon to help our community members that are in need during this time of year,” said Micky Nye, Farm Fresh president. “November is a time for being thankful. Here at Farm Fresh, we are certainly thankful for partners like Smithfield and our Farm Fresh customers that have stepped forward to support our Hunger Relief efforts in the Hampton Roads. Together we all can make a difference.”
This considerable donation is part of Smithfield’s 300th Helping Hungry Homes milestone donation tour, during which the company will donate more than one million servings to nine food banks across the country through the end of the year. These nine donations are in addition to the 42 large-scale protein donations Smithfield has made across the United States in 2016.
“Smithfield is honored to join Farm Fresh, 106.9 The Fox, and FM99 during our 300th milestone tour to present these donations to Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore during Hampton Roads’ largest food drive,” said Dennis Pittman, senior director of hunger relief for Smithfield Foods. “Situated in neighboring towns to our headquarters, these food banks are very close to our hearts and we are proud to continue our support to feed more than 400,000 people with this donation.”
As part of its ongoing Helping Hungry Homes program, Smithfield has committed to donate more than seven million servings of protein to food banks nationwide in 2016 to help families and individuals suffering from hunger. To date, the program has provided more than 43 million servings of protein to food banks across America.
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 and slow-smoked holiday hams to marinated tenderloins, 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, ribs, and a wide variety of fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the United 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 $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 Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy
Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy, part of the SUPERVALU® INC. (NYSE:SVU) family of grocery stores, operates 41 stores in Hampton Roads and Richmond, Va., and Elizabeth City, N.C. Farm Fresh also operates a free-standing pharmacy located inside Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. Formed in 1957 as a neighborhood grocery store with world-class service, today, Farm Fresh is recognized as the premier grocer in the Hampton Roads-area. Farm Fresh prides itself on providing its customers with competitively priced products, clean stores, one-stop shopping services, and a large selection of quality national and regional brands. For more information about Farm Fresh, visit www.farmfreshsupermarkets.com.
About WAFX and WNOR
106.9 The Fox (WAFX) and FM99 (WNOR) are owned by Saga Communications Inc. and serve the entire Hampton Roads region. FM99 was one of the first FM stations in the country and The Fox has been on the air in its current form for over 28 years. As the area’s two premiere rock stations, The Fox (Classic Rock) and FM99 (mainstream rock) sponsor and participate in many community and military-oriented events throughout the year. Both stations boast some on air icons in their staff, such as Mike Arlo (The Fox) and Rick Rumble (FM99).
About Virginia Peninsula Foodbank
Since 1986, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank has been providing hunger relief to the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, and Williamsburg, and the counties of James City, Gloucester, Mathews, Surry and York. With the support of almost 170 member agencies and programs, the organization has provided over 137 million meals in 30 years. The Foodbank is a proud member of Feeding America, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, and the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula. Our vision is to inspire hope by leading the effort for a hunger free and properly nourished community. For more information, visit www.hrfoodbank.org, Facebook, or Twitter.
About the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore
The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, a member of Feeding America® and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, has been providing food for those facing hunger since 1981. To date, we have distributed over 246 million meals throughout our service area, which includes the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Franklin, and Virginia Beach as well as the counties of Southampton, Northampton, Sussex, Isle of Wight, and Accomack. For up-to-date information on the Foodbank, visit our website, Facebook, or Twitter.