The Pork Checkoff’s 14th annual National Eat Together Week (NETW) did more than promote the timeless tradition of quality family time around the dinner table. The “click for a cause” component of the 2009 event allowed America’s pork producers to donate 10,000 pounds of pork to families in need.
“Most pork producers have plenty of meat in their freezer, and I never realised how much of a problem hunger is here in America,” says Randy Brown, a pork producer from Nevada, Ohio, who serves on the National Pork Board.
The 10,000 pounds of pork that were donated are equivalent to about 50,000 meals. “We are very excited that the ‘click for a cause’ component of NETW was a huge success,” says Pamela Johnson, director of consumer communications for the Pork Checkoff.
“Donations were made to food banks in Cleveland, Phoenix, and Seattle. In Seattle, pork’s official blogger from PorkKnifeandSpoon.com, Shauna Ahern, helped spread the word. For the Phoenix donation, Retail Marketing Team Leader Patrick Fleming offered pork presence and assisted the donation.”
Brown represented the pork industry at the local food bank in Cleveland. Clad in a Pork Checkoff hat and shirt, he helped distribute the pork as the media covered the event. “The food bank was tickled to death to receive the whole pork loins, and it makes you feel good that America’s pork producers can help such a worthy cause,” he says.