Kingsford® Charcoal Announces Partnership with Folds of Honor at Second-Annual Barbecue Competition Veteran's Day Weekend

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OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/-- This Veteran's Day weekend, Kingsford^® charcoal and the Folds of Honor Foundation announced a new partnership that will benefit the scholarship program created by the nonprofit. The site of the announcement, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum – a retired aircraft carrier that served tours of duty in World War II and Vietnam – will also be the location of the second annual Kingsford Invitational barbecue competition, which will take place over the holiday weekend and premiere on the Destination America television network next year.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131108/CG13334)

This year's Kingsford Invitational promises another exciting showdown – this time with a twist: the winners of the nation's seven top barbecue competitions will be joined by an eighth competitive team composed of military veterans and competing on behalf of Folds of Honor. The team, Queology, out of Charleston, S.C., consists of three veterans – two Navy and one Army – who have competed together throughout the southeast United States for the last 11 years.

All eight teams will put their skills to the test with the hope of walking away with the title of the "Best of the Best" and the winner-take-all prize of $50,000, the biggest prize in competition barbecue. In honor of its partnership with Folds of Honor, Kingsford will match the competition prize money with a $50,000 donation to help fund the organization's scholarship program.

"We are proud to have Kingsford as a partner," said Major Dan Rooney, founder of the Folds of Honor Foundation. "Kingsford is a great example of an iconic American brand that plays an important role in bringing people together with a pastime as simple as grilling. The culture at this type of event not only brings friends and family closer together but also makes new friends feel like old ones."

Veterans from throughout the New York area have been invited to attend the competition and sample some of the country's finest barbecue. For those unable to attend, the Kingsford Invitational will be filmed for Destination America and air as part of a new, yet to be announced, series that will air in summer 2014.

"As the top choice for many champion pitmasters and the top-selling charcoal in the country, Kingsford is proud to partner with Destination America for the second year to air our best of the best barbecue competition," said Kingsford director of marketing, Lauren Kahn. "This year is even more special as we are celebrating our partnership with Folds of Honor in a new location that could not be more fitting this Veteran's Day weekend. We look forward to sharing America's signature cuisine, slow-cooked barbecue, with our partners for years to come."

"Kingsford charcoal has been a fantastic partner for our signature series, BBQ PITMASTERS," said Marc Etkind, general manager of Destination America. "Barbecue is an important part of Americana and with our viewers' insatiable desire for more of this delicious programming – we're thrilled to serve up the Kingsford Invitational, the ultimate tournament of smoke and meat."  

About the Kingsford Invitational

The first-ever Kingsford Invitational made barbecue history last year by crowning a single team – Yazoo's Delta Q – as the undisputed champion of the 2012 competition barbecue circuit. The second Kingsford Invitational maintains the rules and spirit of the first.

"This event changed the face of barbecue," said Chris Lilly, who has been crowned Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest grand champion three times and will serve as the host and tie-breaking judge for the Kingsford Invitational again this year. "While there are many world-class competitions with several pitmasters claiming to be the best of the best, the Kingsford Invitational brings all the grand champion teams together to crown one as the true champion. With a one in eight chance, the stakes are high and the competition is fierce."

To earn the grand champion title, invitees will need to turn in expertly barbecued meat in four traditional competition categories: ribs, chicken, brisket and pork (either pork shoulder, pork butt or whole hog). The fifth category, the One Bite Challenge, presented by Walmart, is unique to the Kingsford Invitational. Each team will prepare a steak that represents their home region using a kettle grill and five ingredients or less, including a top-quality Walmart USDA Choice Premium steak provided by the retailer. Designed to allow the teams to showcase their backyard, fire-fueled cooking chops, the winning team will receive $5,000 and an extra point added to their overall score, making this component a crucial part of the competition.

The eight teams vying for bragging rights and the cash prize, include:

• Across the Track Cook-off Team – Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest
• Sweet Swine O Mine – Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest
• Pork N' Mindy – Great Lenexa BBQ Battle, Kansas State Championship
• Pellet Envy – Destination America's BBQ PITMASTERS Season 4
• 3 Eyz BBQ – Kansas City Barbeque Society 2012 Team of the Year  
• Iowa's Smokey D's – American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Contest
• Queology – Folds of Honor Representative
• Cool Smoke – Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue

For more information on the Kingsford Invitational, including team bios, official rules, judges' backgrounds and recipes, visit www.Grilling.com.

The Clorox Company
The Kingsford Products Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Clorox Company. The Clorox Company is a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with approximately 8,400 employees and fiscal year 2013 revenues of $5.6 billion. Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized brand names, including its namesake bleach and cleaning products, Clorox Healthcare™, HealthLink^®, Aplicare^® and Dispatch^® products, Green Works^® naturally derived products, Pine-Sol^® cleaners, Poett^® home care products, Fresh Step^® cat litter, Glad^® bags, wraps and containers, Kingsford^® charcoal, Hidden Valley^® and KC Masterpiece^® dressings and sauces, Brita^® water-filtration products, and Burt's Bees^® and gud^® natural personal care products. Nearly 90 percent of the company's brands hold the No. 1 or No. 2 market share positions in their categories. Clorox's commitment to corporate responsibility includes making a positive difference in its communities. In fiscal year 2013, The Clorox Company Foundation awarded about $4 million in cash grants, and Clorox made product donations valued at nearly $15 million. For more information, visit TheCloroxCompany.com.

Folds of Honor Foundation
Through scholarships and other assistance, Folds of Honor gives back to the spouses and children of soldiers killed or disabled in service to our country. The organization seeks to provide healing, hope and an opportunity for those affected by the war to realize their dreams. The Folds of Honor Foundation was founded in 2007 by Major Dan Rooney, a former F-16 pilot, golf course owner, PGA Professional and USGA member. A Major in the Air National Guard and a decorated military aviator, Rooney has served three combat tours in Iraq. After returning from his second tour, Major Rooney witnessed a profound situation that drove him to create the Folds of Honor Foundation. The organization is rallying the nation to ensure no family is left behind in the fight to preserve American freedom.

Destination America
Destination America is the only television network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 is available in more than 60 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America features travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series like BBQ Pitmasters, A Haunting, Epic, and Buying Alaska. For more information, please visit DestinationAmerica.com, facebook.com/DestinationAmerica, or twitter.com/DestAmerica. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 218 countries and territories.

SOURCE Kingsford Charcoal