Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Student-Athletes To Participate in Service Project
10/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
Oct. 16, 2008
FRESNO, Calif. - Lift Up America and Fresno State athletics are teaming up with Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) to help bring the gift of food to the area's less fortunate on Monday, Oct. 20. Student-athletes will be on hand to help unload 15 tons of food during the donation announcement. Community Food Bank will also help distribute the food to more than 120 agencies throughout the Fresno area.
The donation event will be held in the blue lot outside the south entrance to Bulldog Stadium at 1600 E. Bulldog Lane at noon, beginning with a news conference, followed by the food distribution.
"Our partnership and team spirit between these great organizations has a tremendous impact," said Dave Hannah, CEO of Lift Up America. "It is truly inspirational to see so many entities coming together with such a noble goal in mind."
"We're honored to join forces with Lift Up America to bring more awareness to the issue of hunger in America," says Dick Bond, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. "Tyson is dedicated to helping families in Fresno who are struggling in these tough economic times. We also want to encourage other companies and individuals to identify ways they can share resources and make an impact in the fight against hunger."
Founded in 1992, Community Food Bank is the only community-based agency in Fresno dedicated solely to ending hunger in the Central Valley. Community Food Bank coordinates a network of over 200 agencies - food pantries, residential shelters, faith-based entities, community kitchens, adult and child day care centers - located throughout Fresno, Madera, and Kings Counties, which provide food and meals to children, families and the elderly.
"In these tough economic times, there are people in the Valley who need our help," said Pat Hill, Fresno State head football coach. "We are grateful to all those who participated in the food drive and especially everyone associated with Community Food Bank, Tyson Foods and Lift Up America for putting these events on. The majority of our team comes from Valley towns and high schools, and our team is happy to assist and give something back."
Since 2000, Tyson Foods has been a leader in the fight against hunger. The company is actively engaged in food donation events and fundraising activities year-round to benefit those in need. The protein given by Tyson today will provide more than 120,000 meals and brings the company's total in-kind donations since 2000 to more than 52 million pounds. This milestone equates to over 202 million meals donated to food banks and agencies serving local communities around the country. Last year alone, Tyson donated nearly 9 million pounds of protein to Feeding America (formerly known as America's Second Harvest).
For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger, click hungerrelief.tyson.com.
Community Food Bank is the only community-based agency in Fresno dedicated solely to ending hunger in the Central Valley. The food bank coordinates a network of over 200 agencies - food pantries, residential shelters, faith-based entities, community kitchens, adult and child day care centers - located throughout Fresno, Madera, and Kings Counties, which provide food and meals to children, families and the elderly. Community Food Bank is involved in the solicitation, acquisition, warehousing and distribution of the food these agencies acquire and serve to those in need. The food bank is also actively engaged in programs that help address the long-term needs of hungry individuals and advocate for public policy that positively addresses hunger and poverty issues. For information about Community Food Bank, visit www.communityfoodbank.net.
Lift Up America, founded in 2004, is a collaborative effort of companies including Tyson, Ty and Give the Gift of Sight (a Luxottica Group Foundation), working with professional and college sports teams and local nonprofit agencies to provide the gifts of food, sight, hearing, hope and comfort to our nation's less fortunate. In 2006 Lift Up America added such major corporations as Starkey Hearing Foundation, Interstate Batteries and Cinemark Theaters to implement the "Giving Hope Tour," adding the gift of entertainment to those we serve. Lift Up America, through our sponsors, provided more than $25 million in hearing aids, helped approximately 26,000 people in need of prescription eyeglasses, delivered 10 million meals and over 40 million dollars in scholarships to the less fortunate across America. For more information about Lift Up America, please visit www.LiftUpAmerica.org.
Tyson Foods, Inc. [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Ark., is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 104,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.tyson.com for more details.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The `Dogs travel to Utah State to take on the Aggies on Saturday, October 25 at 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast by the Bulldog Sports Network and can be seen on KAIL-TV Digital 7.1 (MY 53) beginning at 11:30 a.m. with the Bulldog Blitz pre-game show. The `Dogs return home to Bulldog Stadium on Friday, November 7 as they host Nevada at 6 p.m in a game televised nationally on ESPN2. To purchase tickets, click on the tickets icon at the top of this page, call the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS, or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
