Fighting Cancer Isn't Pie in the Sky for "Pink Pie in the Face" Fundraiser

Applegate Pork Supplier Donates More Than $30,000 to The Hormel Institute

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Dec 18, 2018, 08:59 ET

AUSTIN, Minn., Dec. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Six faces full of pink whipped cream added up to a more than $30,000 donation to further the cancer research at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota. The Lynch Companies of Waucoma, Iowa, and the company's October 2018 breast cancer fundraising effort led to this donation — a gift to one and all.

Gary Lynch (center), owner of The Lynch Companies, presents a check to Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director The Hormel Institute. Left to right: Mark Morey, vice president of affiliated businesses Hormel Foods, Melissa Blockhus, The Lynch Compaines, Erin Golly, The Lynch Companies, Jason Golly, CEO of The Lynch Companies, Tom Day, executive vice president of refrigerated foods Hormel Foods, Lynch, Dr. Dong, Matt Hackfort, senior director of raw supply Applegate, Christy Bouska & Kevin Bouska, The Lynch Companies.

Gary Lynch, owner of The Lynch Companies, and Jason Golly, CEO of The Lynch Companies, presented a check for $33,474 to Dr. Zigang Dong, executive director of The Hormel Institute. The cancer institute is considered a leading world center for cancer prevention and control research, based on its publishing and grant records.

Lynch, a prostate cancer survivor, and Golly, who is Lynch's son-in-law and whose mother lost her battle with breast cancer, competed to raise money with the winner getting the honor of smashing the other with a pink whipped cream pie. Four other The Lynch Companies employees joined in the friendly completion. In the end, although Golly raised more money, Lynch promised to match all donations through the Lynch Family Foundation — but only if Golly would take a pie to the face as well.

"It was all in good fun, and we're just happy that the rivalry sparked a lot of interest in the community donating to such a great cause," said Lynch.

Gold Standard Farms, a division of The Lynch Companies, supplies raised without antibiotics and animal-welfare certified pork to Applegate, a member of the Hormel Foods family of companies.

"Truly, cancer is a disease that affects us all and through amazing efforts such as these, we can accelerate answers to cancer the only way possible — through research," said Dong, under whose leadership The Hormel Institute has tripled in size in 2008 and again doubled in size in 2016.

"This is an investment in research so people can live longer, healthier lives and where the threat of cancer is diminished," Dong continued. "We thank all of our new friends at Lynch Livestock for joining us on the front lines. Our entire quest is to improve health by preventing and controlling cancer, so all of our lives can go on longer, uninterrupted by cancer."

Thanks to the annual support provided to The Hormel Institute by The Hormel Foundation, 100 percent of this gift will exclusively fund groundbreaking cancer research, none to administrative or operating expenses.

About Lynch Family Foundation

The Lynch Family Foundation was created to support individuals in financial need due to economic, health or related issues and to help fund other charitable organizations involved with supporting children and youth services, veterans, education, health, human services, arts and culture.

Since 1996, the foundation has raised over five million dollars.

About Applegate

Founded in 1987, Applegate Farms, LLC produces high-quality natural and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, cheese and frozen products. Our products are made without GMO ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect and are allowed to grow at their natural rate, all part of our mission – Changing The Meat We Eat^®. Natural can mean many things, but to Applegate, natural means our food is:

From animals raised humanely without antibiotics, hormones or growth promotants;
From animals fed a vegetarian or pasture-centered diet (our beef is 100 percent grass-fed);
Free of added chemical nitrites, nitrates or phosphates; and
Free of artificial ingredients or preservatives.

Applegate became a subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on www.facebook.com/applegate or twitter.com/applegate.

About The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota

The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota is a leading cancer research department of UMN and part of the Masonic Cancer Center, an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Collaborative research partners with Mayo Clinic, Zhengzhou University, MD Anderson, Columbia University, University of Arizona and renowned centers worldwide, The Hormel Institute tripled in size in 2008 and again doubled in size in 2016. Currently, the faculty and staff are comprised of 130 leading cancer-research scientists and 14 cancer research sections. Over the next few years, The Hormel Institute UMN will add another 130 new faculty and staff jobs as part of its expansion as it continues to perform world-class research in the quest to prevent and control cancer.

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