Perdue Farms and Delmarva Shorebirds Launch 2026 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva
SALISBURY, Md. (Tuesday, April 14, 2026) — For many families across the Delmarva Peninsula, putting food on the table remains a daily challenge. Today, one in seven people in the region face food insecurity. At Perdue Farms, we believe that no neighbor should have to go hungry.
Building on a long-standing commitment to supporting communities across the region, Perdue Farms and the Delmarva Shorebirds have launched the 2026 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva in partnership with three regional food banks.
The Strike Out Hunger Challenge aligns with Perdue’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors® outreach, which focuses on helping eliminate food insecurity while strengthening the communities where the company’s associates and families live, work, and raise their families.
“It’s exciting to renew our long-standing partnership with the Delmarva Shorebirds and our three food bank partners,” said Kim Nechay, Executive Director of the Perdue Foundation. “Since 2011, this challenge has helped generate more than 3.8 million meal equivalents for neighbors in need. It shows what is possible when businesses, community organizations, and fans come together with a shared goal of helping families across Delmarva.”
To help drive the season-long campaign, the Perdue Foundation is providing a $15,000 challenge grant benefiting the Eastern Shore Branch of the Maryland Food Bank, the Food Bank of Delaware and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.
The challenge encourages each food bank to engage the community alongside the Shorebirds to raise a minimum equivalent of 10,000 meals to claim equal shares of the first $10,000 of the grant.
Perdue has also committed to donating $10 for every strikeout recorded by Shorebirds’ pitchers during regular season home games, up to $5,000. When pitchers reach 500 strikeouts, the food banks will split the remaining portion of the challenge grant.
“Food banks rely on strong partnerships with organizations like Perdue Farms and the Delmarva Shorebirds to help us meet the growing needs across our region,” said Cathy Kanefsky, CEO of the Food Bank of Delaware. “Programs like Strike Out Hunger make it possible for the community to come together and turn small acts of generosity into meals for families who need them most.”
How the Delmarva Community Can Get Involved
Delmarva community members and Shorebirds fans can participate directly in the Strike Out Hunger Challenge throughout the baseball season.
During every Strike Out Hunger Sunday home game, fans who bring four non-perishable canned goods to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium will receive one free ticket voucher redeemable for a future Strike Out Hunger Sunday game during the 2026 season.
Donations collected during these games will go directly to the three participating food banks serving communities across Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Fans can also support the effort by attending Shorebirds games, participating in food drives, and helping spread awareness about hunger in their communities.
If you or your organization would like to get involved in the 2026 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge on Delmarva, contact the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112 or one of the three participating food banks: Maryland (410-742-0050), Delaware (302-424-3301) or Virginia (757-787-2557).
About Perdue Farms
We’re a fourth-generation, family-owned, U.S. food and agriculture company. Through our belief in responsible food and agriculture, we are empowering consumers, customers, and farmers through trusted choices in products and services.
Perdue Foods consists of a premium protein portfolio, including our flagship PERDUE® brand, Niman Ranch®, Coleman Natural®, Pasturebird®, and Yummy®, as well as our pet brands, Full Moon® and Spot Farms®, and is available through various channels including retail, foodservice, club stores and our direct-to-consumer website, PerdueFarms.com.
Perdue AgriBusiness is a leading merchandiser, processor, and exporter of agricultural products and the largest U.S. manufacturer of specialty, organic, and non-GMO oils. It also ranks as one of the largest suppliers of organic feed ingredients in the world.
Now in our company’s second century, we never use drugs for growth promotion in raising poultry and livestock, and we are actively advancing our animal welfare programs. Our brands are leaders in no-antibiotics-ever and in USDA-certified organic proteins. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.