LOS ANGELES – As part of a promotion for Hormel Foods’ Farmer John brand, Angelenos voted to make one of Southern California's culinary icons, the bacon-wrapped hot dog, the Official Hot Dog of Los Angeles. As a result, Farmer John will commemorate the occasion on Nov. 18 with an official proclamation from councilmember Tom LaBonge and a donation of more than 50,000 lbs. of food to local food banks.

The campaign kicked off Sept. 2 and ran through Nov. 2. Supporters logged onto www.votelahotdog.org to cast their votes. As part of the campaign, Farmer John pledged to donate 1 lb. of food for each vote received, and has now made good on its word by donating more than 50,000 lbs. of food to local Los Angeles food banks Union Rescue Mission and Angel Harvest Food Bank. 2010 MLB All-Star Andre Ethier, who partnered with Farmer John during the campaign, was on-site at Union Rescue Mission to help make the donation.


"Having served Southern California for nearly 80 years, we are committed to the community and are happy to bring an iconic part of our culinary history to the forefront and to provide food to those who need it most this holiday season," said Greg Longstreet, president of Farmer John. "We are thrilled that Angelenos not only stood behind making the Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dog the Official Hot Dog of Los Angeles, but also recognized the importance of giving back to the community."