WILLMAR, Minn. — The makers of the Jennie-O® turkey brand — a category leader and one of the top turkey brands in the United States — announced that it has chosen four U.S. schools as winners of the company’s national School Cafeteria Takeover campaign, hosted by the Jennie-O® brand team and esteemed celebrity chef Carla Hall.
The following schools will each receive $25,000 to be used for the purchase of new kitchen equipment and essential supplies:
- Nicholson STEM Academy- Chicago Public Schools
- Stillwater Middle School- Stillwater Oklahoma Public School District
- Kino Jr High School- Mesa Arizona Public School District
- Pine Lane Elementary School- Douglas County School District Colorado
The opportunity for a school to win a $25,000 grand prize was a central component of the brand’s “School Cafeteria Takeovers” program. Communities nominated their schools by sharing stories about how their cafeteria staff has made a positive impact on both their school and their community.
“We had an incredible time working with Chef Carla this past year to help celebrate the unsung heroes of our schools — the cafeteria staff,” said Renee Cool, brand manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store. “And we are so excited to provide an additional $25,000 to these four amazing schools to further help and ease meal-prep for the cafeteria staff as they serve thousands of students across the nation.”
Jennie-O® announced its partnership with chef, cookbook author and beloved TV personality Hall in October 2022. As part of this partnership, the Jennie-O team and Hall visited schools across the nation to honor school cafeteria staff by hosting school cafeteria takeovers, during which they cooked Jennie-O® turkey as part of a catered meal for cafeteria workers. The Jennie-O ® brand team also pampered cafeteria workers with massage chairs, baked Hall’s Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits for them, and exhibited the gratitude and love of their students with a barrage of flowers and handwritten notes. The campaign kicked off in Knoxville, Tenn., at Blue Grass Elementary School in Oct. 2022, followed by trips to Los Angeles’ Panorama High School in Nov. 2022, Houston’s Mandarin Immersion Magnet School in Feb. 2023 and Detroit’s Central Durfee K-12 school in May.
The Jennie-O® brand team has long been a trusted food partner of K-12 schools, providing more than 5,000 school districts in the U.S. with the largest variety of K-12 turkey products in the country. For more information about Jennie-O® turkey products, including recipes, nutritional information and where to buy, visit JennieO.com.
About Jennie-O Turkey Store
For over 80 years, the Jennie-O® brand has been helping consumers live well by eating well. As the category leader, Jennie-O® turkey is the trusted brand for quality turkey and a source of expertise. We provide a full portfolio of delicious, nutritious turkey proteins and inspiration for everyday meals or special occasions. Known for our bright green awning evoking the nostalgia of a local farmer stand, our round logo with a touch of yellow and our distinct name from our founders’ daughter Jennifer, the Jennie-O® turkey brand has the right amount of small-town friendliness paired with leading company expertise and quality.
About Hormel Foods — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $12 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include Planters®, Skippy®, SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Wholly®, Hormel® Black Label®, Columbus®, Jennie-O® 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 on the “Global 2000 World’s Best Employers” list by Forbes magazine for three years, is one of Fortune magazine’s most admired companies, has appeared on the “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list by 3BL Media 13 times, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement — Inspired People. Inspired Food.™ — to bring some of the world’s most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com and csr.hormelfoods.com.
