$20,000 Donation Will Help Revive Baseball in Inner Cities

NEW YORK, July 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nathan’s Famous^® made a $20,000 donation yesterday to Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, which provides baseball and softball playing opportunities for boys and girls in underserved communities.

The donation continues Nathan’s Famous’ support of MLB and the league’s youth initiatives. The iconic brand donated $20,000 worth of Sam’s Club Memberships to support the program’s 200 RBI leagues, which serve more than 120,000 youth nationwide. Nathan’s Famous is the Official Hot Dog of MLB and a proud sponsor of its “PLAY BALL” initiative, promoting participation in all forms of baseball and softball, with a particular focus on engaging youth through casual playing activities.

“Major League Baseball, through its RBI program, has made a tremendous impact in the lives of inner-city youth all over the world," said Wayne Norbitz, Nathan’s Famous executive board member and former 26-year president. “Nathan’s Famous is proud to be able to support this program and to continue our sponsorship of the league’s ‘PLAY BALL’ initiative. It is our privilege to make this donation to help further the growth and revival of baseball and softball in our inner cities.”

The PLAY BALL initiative is a natural extension of the RBI program, which has been embraced by the many communities it has served since 1989. RBI teaches kids the importance and value of succeeding off the field, both in their classrooms and community.

“This donation affirms our commitment to the partnership between Nathan’s Famous, Major League Baseball, and their PLAY BALL and RBI programs," said Mike Paribello, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. “We are proud to be able to support such a meaningful initiative that positively impacts the lives of young people and encourages them to play baseball and softball.”

Smithfield Foods is the licensee of Nathan's Famous pre-packaged hot dogs, selling a wide variety of beef franks at supermarkets across the country including natural casing, skinless, bun-length, 50 percent reduced fat, angus, and more.

About Nathan's Famous
Nathan's currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Cayman Islands and nine foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Nathan's was ranked #55 on the Forbes list of the Best Small Companies in America and was listed as the Best Small Company in New York State in October 2013. Last year, over 500 million Nathan's Famous hot dogs were sold. For additional information about Nathan's, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield^®, Eckrich^®, Nathan’s Famous^®, Farmland^®, Armour^®, John Morrell^®, Cook’s^®, Kretschmar^®, Gwaltney^®, Curly’s^®, Margherita^®, Carando^®, Healthy Ones^®, Krakus^®, Morliny^® and Berlinki^®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

Contact:
Jeff Dennison
Breaking Limits for Nathan’s Famous
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Direct: 704-766-9061
Mobile: 704-252-3356
Email: jdennison@breakinglimits.net