SMITHFIELD, Va., July 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, legendary hot dog brand Nathan's Famous® joined Kroger at its On the Rhine Eatery in downtown Cincinnati to celebrate National Hot Dog Day by distributing free beef franks to hungry consumers and making a largescale protein contribution to the Freestore Foodbank. The festivities comprised of a donation presentation, giveaways, interactive games and happy Cincinnatians.
To kick it up a notch, professional competitive eater Joey Chestnut made a guest appearance to share his love of the nostalgic summertime dish and celebrate his recent victory with fellow hot dog enthusiasts during a meet and greet. This past July 4, the beef frank connoisseur impressively went on to win his 14th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, breaking his own record and consuming 76 hot dogs within 10 minutes.
Additionally, the brand is working to ensure that everyone can enjoy a hot dog this summer. In its efforts, Nathan's Famous teamed up with Kroger to support the local community through a donation of more than 40,000 pounds of protein to the Freestore Foodbank. This is the equivalent of more than 160,000 servings of protein, which is one of the most valuable resources the food bank distributes. Throughout the past year, Freestore Foodbank mobilized to meet the greatest need for food they've ever seen and until the economy recovers, this demand will continue. Nathan's Famous is proud to supply essential protein to the community and join in the food bank's mission to improve lives by eliminating hunger.
"Even though the country is starting to reopen, food banks have had their doors wide open since the pandemic began. Nathan's Famous is honored to provide this donation to feed the community and lift up the Freestore Foodbank for its tireless work this past year," said Tim Zimmer, chief marketing officer at Smithfield Foods. "Additionally, we're thrilled to have our beloved hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut here to celebrate this fun event with us."
The donation is part of Smithfield Foods' Helping Hungry Homes initiative, which was created in 2008 to fight hunger and food insecurity in local communities across the country. Since then, the company has donated more than 215 million servings of protein to food banks, community outreach programs, and disaster-relief efforts in all 50 states. To learn more, visit https://sustainability.smithfieldfoods.com/helping-communities.
Nathan's Famous Beef Franks are made with 100 percent premium quality beef and no artificial flavors, colors or by-products and are available in an array of varieties including Skinless, Bun-Length, Jumbo Restaurant Style, Colossal, Cheddar Cheese, and All Natural. The Nathan's Famous franks can be found at stores nationwide to pick up and enjoy at home with family and friends. To learn where you can buy product in your area please visit https://nathansfamous.com. Nathan's Famous is a licensed brand of Smithfield Foods.
About Nathan's Famous
Nathan's Famous is a Russell 2000 Company that currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 16 foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Last year, over 700 million Nathan's Famous hot dogs were sold. For additional information about Nathan's, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.
About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. Our 63,000 team members are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.®" and have made us one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Freestore Foodbank
Freestore Foodbank is one of the 200 food bank members of Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Freestore Foodbank's mission is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our community, and our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy, and thriving community in the 20-county service area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more information, please visit www.freestorefoodbank.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About Cincinnati-Dayton Kroger Division
The Kroger Family of Companies has been serving communities across the U.S. for more than 135 years. Kroger's Cincinnati/Dayton division operates food stores, pharmacies, fuel centers, warehouses and offices in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Eastern Indiana and Greater Dayton. We are dedicated to Our Purpose: To Feed the Human SpiritTM while creating a world with Zero Hunger | Zero Waste.
SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.
