Music legend Neil Young and John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods Inc (NYSE:TSN), are joining forces to help battle hunger in Gulf Coast communities impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Tyson Foods plans to donate 100,000 pounds of chicken products in conjunction with special concerts Young has planned in late September in Mobile AL, Panama City and Pensacola FL, and Biloxi MS. The food will be distributed to the Bay Area Food Bank, which serves central Gulf Coast communities in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.
In addition, concert-goers are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items, which will subsequently be given to the food bank. All proceeds from the sale of limited-edition Neil Young T-shirts, available only at the concerts, will also be donated to the food bank.
The hunger relief effort is the result of the long-standing friendship between Young and John Tyson.
“Millions of people who live along the Gulf Coast struggle with hunger, and the economic impact of the oil spill has only made matters worse,” said Young. “I appreciate the willingness of John Tyson and his company to get involved by helping the regional food bank help feed those in need. John is truly a ‘southern man’ with a ‘heart of gold’. We both encourage concert-goers to spend money locally and support local business.”
“Neil and I have known each other for many years and both wanted to do something to help those whose livelihoods have been damaged by the oil spill,” said Tyson. “We decided it made sense to combine Neil’s widely known musical talents with our company’s ongoing commitment to hunger relief.”
Tyson will deliver four truckloads of chicken—the equivalent of almost 400,000 meals—to the Bay Area Food Bank.
Information about tickets, as well as dates and locations of the concerts, can be found at www.neilyoung.com/tour.html.
Tyson Foods, with headquarters in Springdale AR, is one of the world’s largest processors and marketers of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500. It provides products and services throughout the United States and more than 90 nations. Visit www.tyson.com for more information.
