AUSTIN, Minn., Jan. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods (NYSE:HRL) announced today that it has named Minnesota pilot Louis Olsen as its second Inspired Fan.
After the devastation of Hurricane Harvey hit south Texas this past summer, Olsen felt the need to help out. He raised $1,500 from friends and acquaintances for supplies for the hurricane-ravaged area and reached out to Hormel Foods to purchase supplies for his trip. The company, who had already donated supplies for the hurricane, declined Louis' offer to purchase, but instead donated enough SPAM® brand products to help fill his plane.
On his flight to Texas, Olsen stopped in Austin, Minn., to pick up the 384 cans of donated SPAM® products and loaded them into his plane with the likes of work gloves, diapers and mosquito repellant to aid victims and first responders of Hurricane Harvey.
"I made the decision that I had the plane, the fuel and the time to load up supplies and take them down there," said Olsen. "I enjoy SPAM® products. It lasts and it's a food someone can open at any time," he says. "I thought it would be a good food to donate and bring down."
"We were very moved by Louis and his mission to help those in need during a very difficult time. We were thrilled to be a part of his journey and we wanted to honor him for his actions as our second Inspired Fan," said Wendy Watkins, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel Foods.
In November, Hormel Foods launched its Inspired Fan honor by naming 9-year-old Jackson Sizemore as the first recipient. Sizemore's mother, Tiffany, wrote to the company and told them that "Jackson has a 'superpower' called autism" and that he only ate very specific foods and wrote that "the best of the best is SPAM® and only SPAM®." The company loved Jackson's story so much, it created the Inspired Fan honor and awarded it to him.
See the full story on Louis Olsen at https://www.hormelfoods.com/inspired/story/winging-supplies-across-skies/
Meet Jackson Sizemore at https://www.hormelfoods.com/inspired/story/jackson-superhero/
About Hormel Foods – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Skippy®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin's®, Wholly Guacamole®, Hormel® Black Label® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.
Contact: Rick Williamson
507-437-5345
[email protected]
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SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation
