SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Tyson Foods Inc. donated $125,000 (retail value) worth of food on June 14 as part of the “Lend a Hand” charity tour sponsored by NBC’s ‘Today’ show. Now in its tenth year, the show’s week-long, five-city tour helps small, non-profit groups throughout the US work toward improving living conditions in their communities.

Tyson Foods’ donation of a truck load of chicken was made during the ‘Today’ show’s live broadcast from Las Vegas, Nev. The food was given by Tyson to the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, a non-profit organization that provides training and jobs for low-income people and serves meals to children in need. The donated product will be stored at the Three Square food bank in Las Vegas.


“We are so grateful for this generous donation, which will further our mission of providing real-world training to our students while supporting our community,” said Steven Horsford, Culinary Academy of Las Vegas CEO. “With Tyson’s help, we will be providing 4,000 free nutritious meals a day for disadvantaged children as part of the federal Summer Food Service Program.”

“This donation reflects our company’s ongoing commitment to hunger relief,” said Sara Lilygren, senior vice president of external affairs for Tyson Foods. “Since we’re a leader in the food business, it makes sense for us to work alongside groups like the Culinary Academy and Three Square in the fight against hunger.”

Tyson also plans to make a similar donation at the ‘Today’ show’s stop in Birmingham, Ala., on June 16.

The company has donated 79 million lbs. of protein to hundreds of food banks, food pantries and relief agencies in 48 states since 2000. It partners with all of the country’s major hunger relief organizations, including Share Our Strength, Lift Up America, Feeding America and the Food Research and Action Center.

In an effort to help raise awareness of hunger in the United States, Tyson Foods initiated the KNOW Hunger campaign earlier this year. The project is designed to encourage people to KNOW the scope of hunger in their own communities and get involved in relief efforts, so someday there will be NO hunger in our country.