AUSTIN, Minn., Feb. 3, 2018 – Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) announced that it has partnered with Operation Gratitude and set a goal to send 52,000 letters of thanks to active duty service members overseas.
Through its sponsorship with the Super Bowl Host Committee, Hormel Foods is using its activation space at Super Bowl LIVE presented by Verizon to have attendees write letters of appreciation to deployed troops. The thank you letters will accompany 52,000 care packages sent to active duty service members by Operation Gratitude.
“Hormel Foods has a long tradition of supporting our military. Whether it’s providing food for our troops or career opportunities when they look to transition to civilian life, Hormel Foods is there,” said Jeff Baker, group vice president of foodservice at Hormel Foods. “We are proud and inspired to partner with Operation Gratitude, and are confident we will achieve our goal of sending 52,000 thank you letters to the troops.”
“Partnering with Hormel Foods is a great opportunity for Operation Gratitude to expand its support of our military and our mission to give every American a way of expressing their appreciation to those who serve,” said Kevin Schmiegel, chief executive officer at Operation Gratitude. “These thank you letters are some of the most treasured items in our care packages and we are excited to work with Hormel Foods to accomplish this audacious goal.”
In addition to handwritten letters, the company has tablets and kiosks for people to send electronic thank you notes, and the activation space also includes a historical 1918 photo of Hormel Foods employees during a summer event. This photo includes the company’s founder, George Hormel, and his family along with the entire company staff holding signs about each department. One sign read, “Stenographic department. We write letters to our troops,” further evidence of the company’s long-standing tradition of supporting our troops with letters of thanks.
An online option is available for those who are not able to attend the activation space in person. Visit https://www.hormelfoods.com/operation-gratitude/ to complete a thank you letter form.