No Matter How You Slice It, Game-Winning Touchdown Deserves 'Basket of Champions'

    PLYMOUTH, Wis., Dec. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cardinals Josh McCown and
 Nathan Poole have captured a slice of history - and earned the gratitude of
 millions of Packers fans everywhere - with their winning touchdown play
 against the Minnesota Vikings(R). As a thank-you to the Cardinal team for its
 efforts last Sunday, Sargento is making a special $1,000 donation to
 Milwaukee's Hunger Task Force. Sargento, the official cheese of Lambeau
 Field(TM), has also sent a gift of its "Basket of Champions" football-shaped
 Wisconsin cheeses to the Cardinals players with news of the honorary donation
 and an offer to make a comparable donation to a charity of the Cardinals
 choosing.
     Throughout the 2003 football season, Sargento Foods Inc. has been tackling
 hunger to support its favorite team with its "Touchdowns for Charity" program.
 For every Green Bay Packers touchdown made, the Wisconsin-based company has
 donated $1,000 to the Milwaukee food bank Hunger Task Force, a total of
 $53,000 for the season. Now, with an NFC wild-card playoff game at stake,
 Sargento is extending its charitable campaign for the remainder of the playoff
 tournament.
     "In the spirit of the season, we thought it was only fitting to expand
 upon our commitment to Hunger Task Force and reward the excellent performance
 of the Cardinals and Packers teams," explains Lou Gentine, Sargento chairman
 and chief executive officer. "Since the Cardinals had a hand in the outcome,
 we're commemorating the occasion with one of Wisconsin's great winning
 traditions:  a gift basket of our award-winning cheeses."
     Sargento Foods Inc., based in Plymouth, Wis., is celebrating its 50th
 anniversary in 2003, and is a leading manufacturer, packager and marketer of
 natural shredded, sliced and snack cheeses, cheese appetizers, ingredients and
 sauces. Sargento is the recipient of the Gold Taste Award for its superior
 quality shredded cheese in the 2002-2003 Awards of the Americas (AOTA)
 competition. A family-owned company, Sargento has net sales of more than
 $534 million.
 
 

SOURCE  Sargento Foods Inc.