CONCORD, N.C., Oct. 06, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes tour continued its 2016 nationwide hunger-relief tour this morning to donate more than 70,000 pounds of protein to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Smithfield partnered with Food Lion and racing legend Richard Petty to make the donation, which will provide more than 280,000 servings to families throughout Metrolina, where one in four children struggle with hunger.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3e4d6ee2-eeca-4265-b020-e65734c65394

Petty joined representatives from Smithfield and Food Lion to present the donation during an event this morning at the Concord Food Lion. Speakers discussed the importance of donations like these to the food bank, which serves 19 counties throughout North Carolina.

Helping Hungry Homes, now in its eighth year, is Smithfield's coast-to-coast campaign to help Americans become more food secure. This year, the program will help fight hunger through more than 35 large-scale protein donations to food banks across the United States totaling more than 4.5 million servings. To date, Helping Hungry Homes has provided more than 41 million servings of protein to food banks across America.

"We are very thankful to Smithfield and Food Lion for their continued support of the food bank," said Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. "Protein is a very difficult nutritional resource for the food bank to obtain, and this donation will help provide more than 280,000 meals to children and families throughout the Metrolina area who don't know from where their next meal will come."

"As a proud partner of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, Food Lion is pleased to join with Smithfield to make this contribution to the Charlotte community that we are proud to call home," said Christy Phillips-Brown, director of external communications and community relations for Food Lion. "Through our Food Lion Feeds initiative, Food Lion has committed to donate 500 million meals by the year 2020, and through wonderful events such as this, we are well on our way toward meeting that goal."

"Smithfield's Helping Hungry Homes program is proud to partner with Food Lion to provide this donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina," said Dennis Pittman, Smithfield senior director of hunger relief. "As a food company, Smithfield has made it a responsibility to feed our neighbors in need. Through this donation, we are proud to provide wholesome protein to families and individuals throughout Metrolina and encourage others to help serve their local food bank."

"Richard Petty Motorsports is honored to participate in this donation leading up to Charlotte race weekend," said Petty. "So many race fans are loyal customers of Smithfield and shop at Food Lion, so it's great to see the two organizations partnering to give back to the communities that support them, and our race team, throughout the year."

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 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 with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the "Fresh From Florida" campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.

About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 65,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, a U.S. division of Amsterdam-based Royal Ahold Delhaize Group (OTC:ADRNY). For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.

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 FY2015-2016, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 50 million pounds of food and grocery items to over 700 hunger feeding agencies including emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycares. 

Media Contacts:

Hunter PR for Smithfield
Elisabeth Garcia
(212) 679-6600
egarcia@hunterpr.com

Richard Petty Motorsports
Heather Lumpp
(847) 302-5509
hlumpp@rpm43.com

Food Lion
Matt Harakal
(704) 310-2858
matthew.harakal@foodlion.com

Second Harvest
Kay Carter
(704) 526-5366
kcarter@secondharvest.org