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Hormel Foods Hosts 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest

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Austin, Minn.

Three students from across the country were honored by Hormel Foods on Wednesday, Feb. 12, as winners of the 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest.

This year’s top honors went to Elliana Henkin (Rochester, Minnesota); Kira Stackhouse (Bentonville, Arkansas); and Jaxon Gideo (Rochester, Minnesota), who shared their winning essays with Hormel Foods team members.

The Hormel Foods BLAACK business resource group sponsored the annual essay competition for elementary and middle school students across the United States. Contestants were asked to write an essay with the theme, “What Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Means to Me.”

“Dr. King was a prominent leader in the civil right movement well known for his unforgettable speeches like ‘I Have a Dream’ and ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’,” said Kayla Brown, BLAACK member and customer executive, Retail Sales at Hormel Foods. “When I reflect on the impact that Dr. King had on me, he taught me about being comfortable with the uncomfortable to create change. Dr. King knew the road wasn’t going to be easy, but with determination, change is possible.”

The goals of the nationwide competition include inspiring young leaders, encouraging them to aim high and strengthening connections between Hormel Foods and local schools.

These three students honored Dr. King’s legacy by putting into words what he means to them.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is a hero to me because he showed me how to be strong, brave, and to stand up for what is right,” Jaxon Gideo said in his essay. “Dr. King’s message of love and peace is something that everyone should remember and follow.”

About Hormel Foods – Inspired People. Inspired Food.™

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $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 one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World’s Best Companies 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.