Tyson Foods Honors Phoebe Russell as a "Hunger All-Star"

San Francisco Food Bank receives 15 tons of food in celebration of young girl’s commitment to ending local hunger

San Francisco, CA, March 19, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Tomorrow, Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) will honor Phoebe Russell of San Francisco for her hunger-relief efforts by selecting her as the next Tyson Hunger All-Star. It is an honor that comes with a donation of more than 15 tons of Tyson protein products to the San Francisco Food Bank.

At the age of five, Phoebe started a fund-raising campaign to raise money for the San Francisco Food Bank. She set a goal to raise $1,000 in two months by collecting and redeeming cans. With the help of her parents and preschool teacher, Phoebe began writing letters to family and friends about her project. As word got around, donations started pouring in. In just two months, Phoebe raised $3,736.30 for the San Francisco Food Bank. That’s enough to feed 17,800 hungry people.

“Protein is an essential portion of a healthy diet and the most-needed donated item at the food bank,” said Paul Ash, executive director of the San Francisco Food Bank. “We cannot thank Tyson Foods enough for this very special gift. The food bank is honored to receive this donation in Phoebe Russell’s name.”

Phoebe was nominated as a Tyson Hunger All-Star through Tyson Foods’ hunger relief online site, http://hungerrelief.tyson.com. Each month, winners are selected from nominations submitted through the Web site. The site has steadily become a place where visitors can read and learn the compelling stories of people’s commitment in the fight against hunger.

“Phoebe’s enthusiasm for helping neighbors who are hungry is inspiring,” said Ed Nicholson, director of community relations for Tyson Foods. “If each local community had volunteers who gave a fraction of what Phoebe Russell has for our nation’s hungry, I believe we could win in the fight against hunger in this country. We’re proud to honor Phoebe as our next Hunger All-Star and pleased to offer this donation of much-needed protein for the hungry in the San Francisco community.”

Since 2000, Tyson Foods has been a leader in the fight against hunger. The company is actively engaged in food-donation events and fund-raising activities year-round to benefit those in need.

The protein given by Tyson today brings the company’s total in-kind donations since 2000 to more than 73 million pounds. This milestone equates to more than 292 million meals donated to food banks and agencies serving local communities around the country. Last year alone, Tyson donated nearly eight million pounds of protein to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger, go to http://hungerrelief.tyson.com/.

San Francisco Food Bank - Hunger is a serious problem in San Francisco - with 1 in 4 children and 1 in 5 adults at risk of hunger. Every day, the San Francisco Food Bank sources, collects, sorts, inspects and repackages thousands of pounds of food, then distributes it to soup kitchens, neighborhood grocery centers, school programs and seniors in need. The San Francisco Food Bank serves 22,000 households weekly throughout San Francisco and Marin counties, and will distribute close to 40 million pounds of food to the community this year – enough for 78,000 meals every day. Over half of what is distributed is fresh produce. For more information, visit www.SFFoodBank.org.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN - News), founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest processors and marketers 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 services to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 countries. The company has approximately 117,000 Team Members employed at more than 400 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.

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San Francisco Food Bank
Stacy Newman
415-282-1900
www.sffoodbank.org/
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