Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge Marks 15 Years with Record 1.5 Million Meals Generated
SALISBURY, Md. (Sept. 2, 2026) – The 2026 Perdue Strike Out Hunger Challenge generated a record 1,524,407 meal equivalents for food banks across the Delmarva Peninsula, marking a new milestone in Perdue Farms’ 15-year partnership with the Delmarva Shorebirds and regional food bank partners. Since 2011, the partnership has generated more than 5.3 million melas for neighbors facing food insecurity across the region. This year’s challenge surpassed the 2025 total by more than 29,000 meal equivalents.
The challenge concludes as Hunger Action Month begins, offering an opportunity to recognize the ongoing work of local food banks and role communities can play in helping address food insecurity. The program is a cornerstone of Perdue’s Delivering Hope To Our Neighbors® outreach, focused on helping strengthen the communities where Perdue associates and their families live and work.
To launch the challenge, and baseball season, Perdue Farms provided a $15,000 challenge grant through the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of the company, benefiting the Maryland Food Bank, the Food Bank of Delaware, and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.
From there, each food bank worked throughout the baseball season to engage local communities in generating the equivalent of at least 10,000 meals through food donations, financial contributions and volunteer hours to earn a share of the grant. Perdue Farms also contributed $10 for every strikeout recorded by a Shorebirds pitcher during the season, up to $5,000.
“The Strike Out Hunger Campaign holds a special place in my heart because year after year, we see this community step up to help its neighbors,” said Jimmy Sweet, assistant general manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds. “Fifteen years of support says a lot about the people who call the Eastern Shore home, and we’re proud to continue this tradition alongside Perdue and our regional food bank partners.”
“At the heart of the Strike Out Hunger Challenge are the children, families and seniors across the Delmarva Peninsula who need help putting food on the table,” said Christopher Tan, president and CEO of Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. “Perdue’s generosity helps ensure that our neighbors throughout Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have access to nutritious food when they need it most. We are deeply grateful for Perdue’s longstanding partnership and its unwavering commitment to the communities we serve.”
For many families across the Delmarva Peninsula, the challenge of accessing nutritious food remains an everyday reality. Through initiatives like the Strike Out Hunger Challenge, Perdue Farms continues to invest in meaningful partnerships that help address immediate needs while bringing communities together for a shared purpose.
“Fifteen years into this partnership, we continue to be inspired by the way the Delmarva community shows up for its neighbors,” said Bill See, senior manager of community relations for Perdue Farms. “Reaching a record 1.5 million meal equivalents is something we’re proud of, but what matters most is what those meals mean for children, families and seniors in our communities. We’re grateful to the Shorebirds, our food bank partners and everyone who helped make this year’s Challenge our strongest yet.”
About the Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation
The Franklin P. and Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work. At Perdue Farms, we believe in responsible food and agriculture®.
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®. Our products are 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 USDA-certified organic proteins. Learn more at Corporate.PerdueFarms.com.