National Hot Dog Brand Takes its Nathan's Duos Program from Virtual to In-Person with Local Community Event to Raise Awareness About Food Insecurity in the Rocky Mountain Area

SMITHFIELD, Va., Nov. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National hot dog brand Nathan's Famous is taking its Twitch gaming program, Nathan's Duos, beyond the screen. Since 2020, Nathan's Duos has matched gamers to play side-by-side to create genuine moments of connection through livestreaming events. In its continued efforts to bring people together, the program is transforming from online livestreams to in-person events to give back locally.

The brand is partnering with Twitch personality JoshOG to host Nathan's Duos streaming events with three select gamers and help make an impact by fighting food insecurity. Together, Nathan's Famous and JoshOG will make donations to local food banks in the areas where the professional gamers are based.

Earlier today, Nathan's Famous and JoshOG kicked off the three-part event series, alongside fellow Duos streamer, WillerZ, with a $5,000 donation to Food Bank of the Rockies to help alleviate hunger in the Rocky Mountain area. The contribution will provide 15,000 meals and support the food bank – the largest hunger relief organization in the region – in making an even bigger impact to help feed community members in need.

In addition, JoshOG and WillerZ will participate in a Nathan's Duo livestream, using the platform to speak to their audiences about the importance of taking the time to get out in the community and support local organizations like Food Bank of the Rockies.

"Inflation is currently at a 40-year high and is hitting Food Bank of the Rockies' budget with some staple items costing as much as 70% more compared to last year. To meet the needs of our neighbors experiencing hunger, we are spending an additional $1.3 million or more on food purchasing every month – more than triple what we were spending pre-COVID," said Erin Pulling, president and CEO for Food Bank of the Rockies. "We've been able to meet the increased demand, thanks to the generosity of companies like Nathan's Famous. We are grateful for their inspired support in answering the challenge of hunger across our communities." 

"As an iconic brand for more than 100 years, Nathan's has always believed in bringing people together to foster these authentic moments of connection and belonging," said Bethany Gurecki, senior brand manager for Nathan's Famous at Smithfield Foods. "Today's contribution reflects these same beliefs and helps the Food Bank of the Rockies support neighbors with the resources needed to flourish, while providing equitable access to proper nourishment for all."

"It's been a pleasure to partner with Nathan's Famous over the past three years through the Nathan's Duos program and compete in livestreams with my peers," said Josh Beaver, known as JoshOG on Twitch. "It's also been really gratifying to be able to grow our partnership to a new, more meaningful level by helping the brand raise awareness about food insecurity here in Denver."

"As a professional gamer, today gives me a unique opportunity to step away from my computer and get involved in my community," said WillerZ, Twitch streamer. "I know a lot of people in our country are struggling financially right now and are not able to afford essentials like groceries. I'm thankful that I'm able to use my platform to raise awareness around this important issue." 

To learn more about Nathan's Famous, visit nathansfranks.com.

About Nathan's Famous
Nathan's 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 sixteen foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs, and product licensing activities. For additional information about Nathan's please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" and serve as 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 our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% 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 Food Bank of the Rockies
Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region. Since 1978, we've put the power of community to work for our neighbors in need. Through partnerships. Through programs. Through people. Through you. Everything we do is fueled by the support of our community and donors, and 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to distribution. With support from our community, we distribute enough food daily for over 178,000 meals. For more information: foodbankrockies.org. 

About JoshOG
Denver-based Josh "JoshOG" Beaver originally started streaming on Twitch in June of 2014. His original goal was to get 250 followers on his channel; however, his profile quickly grew well beyond what he had expected. He soon accumulated enough subscribers to focus on his Twitch streaming career full time. Josh plays a wide variety of games during his streams and his high levels of both game play and entertaining chat with his fans have produced a loyal group of followers that endearingly call themselves the "ducks." Josh is a loyal brand fan of Nathan's Famous hot dogs and has participated in Nathan's Duos streaming events since the platform's inception in 2019.

About WillerZ
WillerZ is a long-time professional Twitch streamer based in Las Vegas, Nevada who is best known for playing the game "Escape From Tarkov." His fans appreciate his high-level gameplay, entertaining personality, and his ability to deliver enjoyable experiences to viewers whenever he goes live on Twitch. Will is a fierce competitor, but fans mostly appreciate his cool and calm demeanor in the face of stressful game situations.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.