Smithfield Partners With Richard Petty Motorsports To Donate 25,000 Pounds Of Protein To Second Harvest Food Bank Of Metrolina As Part Of Its "Helping Hungry Homes" Tour

Donation Will Provide More Than 100,000 Servings to Charlotte-Area Families

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May 22, 2015, 09:00 ET

MOORESVILLE, N.C., May 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the upcoming race weekend in Charlotte, Smithfield is partnering with Richard Petty Motorsports to donate 25,000 pounds of protein to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina to help serve the Charlotte community. This significant donation is part of Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes tour, the company's coast-to-coast effort to help families and individuals become more food secure. This event will coincide with the annual Fan Day at the new Richard Petty Motorsports shop in Mooresville, N.C., giving race fans the chance to receive autographs and get a behind the scenes look at the race team in action.

"The King" Richard Petty and Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 driver Aric Almirola, who have partnered with the Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes program to donate thousands of pounds of protein over recent years, will be present to discuss the importance of these donations from Smithfield and to raise awareness about the necessity of providing assistance to our neighbors in need.

Representatives from Smithfield, alongside Petty and Almirola, will present the donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina on Friday, May 22 at 11:30 a.m. at Richard Petty Motorsports, located at 112 Byers Creek Road, Mooresville, N.C.

"Smithfield has been one of our strongest partners in helping feed hungry families in North Carolina, and is known for supporting food banks across the country through their Helping Hungry Homes program," said Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. "For families striving to make ends meet and for seniors who struggle to afford food, this donation of protein is a wonderful gift. We appreciate the partnership and commitment of Smithfield to bring this substantial donation to our area."

"The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team is honored to participate in this donation with our sponsor, Smithfield," said Richard Petty. "So many race fans are loyal customers of Smithfield, so it's great to see them giving back to communities that support them, and our race team, throughout the year."

"Smithfield has made more than 205 donations across the country under the company's Helping Hungry Homes program. Through this donation, we will provide more than 100,000 servings of much-needed protein to the Charlotte area," said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs. "We're proud to partner with Richard Petty Motorsports to make this substantial donation to honor our customers and race team fans while helping to alleviate hunger in the Charlotte area."

Smithfield Foods has a long history of stocking food banks, supporting after-school nutrition programs and providing food relief in the wake of natural disasters. In January 2008, Smithfield established their Helping Hungry Homes^® initiatives to help ensure that American families in need do not go hungry.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina

As part of Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina - serves 19 counties in North and South Carolina. In FY2013-2014, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 45 million pounds of food and household items to almost 650 hunger feeding agencies including emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycares.

About Richard Petty Motorsports

A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.

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 to slow-smoked holiday hams, 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, and fresh pork cuts, the company services retail, foodservice, and deli channels across the Unites 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 $15 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^®, Farmland^®, Armour^®, Cook's^®, Gwaltney^®, John Morrell^®, Kretschmar^®, Curly's^®, Carando^®, Margherita^®, and Healthy Ones^®. 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 and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.