Hormel Foods Announces Hormel Heroes Scholarship Recipients

Scholarships support students with military backgrounds pursuing careers in culinary arts or a foodservice management related program

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Hormel Foods Corporation

Nov 11, 2019, 08:00 ET

AUSTIN, Minn., Nov. 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) today announced the recipients of this year's two $10,000 Hormel Heroes Scholarships. The Hormel Heroes Scholarship Program was created by Hormel Foods to support students with military backgrounds pursuing degrees in culinary arts or a foodservice management related program and is administered by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF).

"Hormel Foods has a long history of supporting the military, and we are proud to provide these scholarships to show our appreciation for students who serve or have served our country and are pursuing careers in the foodservice industry," said Mark Ourada, group vice president of Foodservice. "Congratulations to this year's scholarship recipients, Alisa McKinney and Marie Stimpson, and thank you for your service."

McKinney is a retired veteran who served over 7 years on active duty with the U.S. Army. She completed two tours in Iraq, serving in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Ensuring Freedom. McKinney is a student at the Allegany College of Maryland pursuing degrees in culinary arts and hospitality.

"If it were not for donors like you, students like myself might never have the chance to continue pursuing their educational dreams," McKinney said. "Thank you for your gift and hospitality. Without it, I would not have been able to continue my education."

Stimpson is a retired Master Sergeant with more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Army. She is currently pursuing a degree in culinary arts at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College and dreams of becoming a chef and opening her own business.

"It is an honor to be recognized for my hard work, and receiving this scholarship motivates me to continue to strive for excellence," Stimpson said. "Your generosity has inspired me to help others and give back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me."

"The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is proud to support service members through continued education and training, especially as they transition back to civilian life," said Rob Gifford, president of the NRAEF. "We are grateful to Hormel Foods for making these scholarships possible, and for helping our veterans pursue opportunities in the restaurant and foodservice industry."

About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY^®, SPAM^®, Hormel^® Natural Choice^®, Applegate^®, Justin's^®, Wholly Guacamole^®, Hormel^® Black Label^®, Columbus^® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the 11^th year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125^th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation's mission of service to the public is dedicated to enhancing the industry's training and education, career development and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Employer and Advance today's and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart^® — a high school career and technical educational program; Restaurant Ready — partnering with community-based organizations to provide justice-involved youth with skills and training and job opportunities; Military — helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship Project — a partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association providing a hospitality apprenticeship program for the industry. For more information about the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

Contact: Kelly Braaten
507-434-6352
[email protected]

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation