Hormel Foods Corp. and Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. donated 6,000 pounds of Hormel Cure 81 hams on Jan. 4 to a local Harvesters food bank to help fight hunger.

The donation was made possible by the 34th annual Hormel Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program and took place during the holiday season. The donation supports Harvesters' mission to mobilize the power of community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger.

“Hormel Foods is honored to partner with AWG to combat hunger in our local communities,” said Katie Lynch, Hormel Cure 81 brand manager at Hormel Foods. “The Hormel Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program is a testament to our strong relationship with AWG, and we’re humbled to join forces and lend a helping hand to those facing challenges this time of year.”

“We are grateful to have generous vendor partners like Hormel to help us facilitate this donation on behalf of our independent grocery store owners,” said Lori Turner, chair of AWG Cares, the company’s employee-managed charitable foundation. “We’re proud of the impact that our AWG Cares foundation creates and are humbled to see what a difference we can make when we team up with like-minded companies like Hormel.”

Since the inception of the Hormel Cure 81 Hams for Hunger program in 1989, Hormel Foods has partnered with retailers across the country to give back. More than $16 million in hams has been donated to date, feeding thousands of families.

Sources: Hormel Foods Corp.; Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc.