SPRINGDALE, Ark. – May 21, 2015 – Tyson Foods plans to engage with more than 25 young entrepreneurs about food insecurity with its sponsorship of the Millennial Trains Project (MTP), a non-profit organization that will embark on a 10-day transcontinental journey. Participants will explore opportunities and challenges to advance socially-impactful projects in cities along the train ride, and will include young innovators like Tyson Foods-sponsored documentary filmmaker and journalist Clara Ritger.
Clara, a Washington, D.C.-based documentary producer with a passion for food, will shoot video at each stop during the Millennial Train journey. The video will be used to produce a six-episode series titled “The Great American Cooking Story,” which will be released online this summer. Clara has a strong journalistic background and has been featured in USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Indianapolis Star.
As part of the MTP event, Tyson Foods’ Chef Matt Boring E.C.E. will be on the train to engage with participants about hunger and nutrition by leading an on-train workshop about food insecurity. He will also meet with community leaders in destination cities to discover how they’re working to solve and raise awareness about hunger. The company will also donate a truckload of protein to Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans on May 27 as a part of its efforts shed light on the seriousness of food insecurity in communities nationwide.
“Millennials are such a special generation because they’re so engaged in social activism,” said Annetta Young, director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Tyson Foods. “We hope that our efforts to team up with Millennials and to engage with them on issues like food insecurity will help activate them in their own communities to raise awareness about hunger.”
The train will embark on May 21 from Los Angeles and will make stops in San Antonio, New Orleans, Atlanta, and arriving on May 31 in Washington D.C. MTP Mentors will help lead discussions about community and social activism and act as guides in their respective communities. Mentors include architects, policy makers, academics, journalists, designers, entrepreneurs, sustainability experts and city officials.
To follow their journey, please follow visit Clara’s blog and follow @TysonFoods, @MillennialTrain and @ClaraRitger on Twitter.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is one of the world's largest producers of chicken, beef, pork and prepared foods that include leading brands such as Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Sara Lee®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells® and State Fair®. The company was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson, whose family has continued to lead the business with his son, Don Tyson, guiding the company for many years and grandson, John H. Tyson, serving as the current chairman of the board of directors. Tyson Foods provides a wide variety of protein-based and prepared foods products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves, supplying customers throughout the United States and approximately 130 countries. It has approximately 124,000 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 Foods 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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Contact: Krista Cupp, 479-290-5195, krista.cupp@tyson.com