Tyson Powers the Fight Against Childhood Hunger in Buffalo

Local Team Members’ Fund Raising Efforts Help Bring 35,000 Pounds of Protein to the Food Bank of Western New York

Buffalo, NY, July 28, 2006 – Tyson announced today that it will be delivering a 35,000-pound gift to the Food Bank of Western New York on Friday and to one of its food banks agencies, Son Fest Pavilion summer youth program. In celebration of the donation, Tyson team members grilled lunch for the children and parents involved in Son Fest and other community members. With limited use of free lunch programs in the summertime, a vacation from school can also mean an absence of well-balanced meals for some Western New York children. As part of an internal company fundraising competition to end childhood hunger, the local Tyson plant team raised $895 through a one-day bake sale and won a protein donation gift from Tyson to give to its community.

America’s Second Harvest “Hunger in America 2006” study found an estimated 52 percent of local families had to make the choice between food and utilities year-round, and about 32 percent of those using the Food Bank of Western New York had to choose between food and health care services. The Food Bank of Western New York serves 457 different member agencies in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties.

Clem Eckert, president of the Food Bank of Western New York, said children make up about 40 percent of the population served by the food bank. Eckert said a donation of meat products is particularly significant for the organization.

“Demand for the food bank increases in the summertime,” Eckert said. “Any type of protein or meat-related donation means a lot to us because those types of donations are hard to come by.”

Eckert said most of the food bank’s donated items come in the form of dry goods, with frozen and meat related items only accounting for about 20 percent of the group’s overall donations. Dry goods make up about 65 percent of donated items, he said. Eckert said the food bank has to purchase approximately 40 percent of its food with state and federal funds, with the remainder coming from donations.

Protein is one of the most efficient and long lasting sources of energy. The chicken donated today is one of the most concentrated sources of protein—an essential nutrient of life. The average person—man, woman or child—needs to eat about 0.4 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, every day. This is approximately equivalent to five ounces of chicken, beef or pork.

In June, Tyson facilities nationwide kicked off a new program to raise funds and awareness for the fight against childhood hunger. The program is called Powered by the Spirit and involves three key components: local fund-raising through cooking and grilling events, sales of a specially produced Tyson cookbook featuring recipes from the kitchens of Tyson team members nationwide and donation of seventy-five percent of the proceeds of those fundraising efforts to the community where the money is raised.

About Hunger Relief Nationwide
Tyson has made significant impact in their fight against hunger nationwide through a partnership with Share Our Strength®, and America’s Second Harvest-The Nation’s Food Bank Network. Share Our Strength is a nonprofit that inspires and organizes individuals and businesses to share their strengths in innovative ways to help end childhood hunger in America. America’s Second Harvest is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with more than 200 food banks in its network.

Tyson Foods’ efforts over the past five years have provided more than 29 million pounds of chicken, beef and pork or more than 115 million meals to benefit more than 400 hunger-relief organizations across the U.S.

According to the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey released in August 2005 which studied conditions in 2004, the poverty rate in America rose by 4 percent to 35.9 million people, one-third of which are children. Generally it is estimated that about 15 percent of a family income goes toward food, but many times parents are forced to make the choice of either paying the rent or providing the next meal for their family.

For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger, contact the Food Bank of Western New York at 91 Holt Street, Buffalo, NY or visit www.foodbankwny.org, www.tyson.com, http://www.secondharvest.org/ or www.strength.org.

The Food Bank of Western New York is a regional hunger relief organization that supports individuals and families in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie and Niagara counties. Founded in 1979, the food bank supports more than 450 agencies and distributes about 1 million pounds of food to more than 100,000 individuals per month. For more information visit www.foodbankwny.org

Son Fest Pavilion is a summer youth program that serves an estimated 60 children from ages 5 to 14 during the months of July and August. The program is located at 447 Masten Avenue in Buffalo. Husband and wife Otis and Geraldine Tillman run the program that has been in existence for more than 25 years. Otis Tillman is 87 years old and Geraldine Tillman is 85 years old. For more information call 716-883-5327.

Share Our Strength®, one of the nation’s leading anti-hunger organizations, is fueled by a simple but powerful philosophy: It takes more than food to fight hunger. The organization mobilizes thousands of individuals to organize events, host dinners, teach cooking and nutrition classes to low-income families and serve as anti-hunger advocates. Share Our Strength believes it takes each of us, sharing our strength, to make a difference. Since its founding in 1984, Share Our Strength has raised more than $163 million to support more than 1,000 anti-hunger, anti-poverty organizations worldwide. For more information, please visit www.strength.org

America’s Second Harvest® — The Nation’s Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food - rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America’s Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America’s Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on America’s Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org

Tyson Foods, Inc., www.tyson.com, [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products, which are marketed under the “Powered by Tyson™” strategy. Tyson is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves, providing products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 114,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 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 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.

Contact Information

Gary Mickelson

News Media

Tyson Foods, Inc.

Contact via E-mail