Red Gold Tomatoes Backs Hooked on Helping
Hooked on Helping founder Rich Dalbey announces two major boosts in 2015: Red Gold Tomatoes will join the cause by donating 1,000 pounds of tomato products, and Walmart FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell will serve as a spokesperson to help increase awareness of the group’s mission, which is to assist local food banks by coordinating food drives at each Walmart FLW Tour event.
In 2014, the food drives collected 1,150 pounds of food and cash donations that contributed to more than 5,000 meals. Dalbey, whose charity work garnered him the 2014 Forrest L. Wood Sportsmanship and Community Leadership Award, welcomes both Red Gold Tomatoes and Hollowell to the cause.
“My goal in starting Hooked on Helping was to give back to the communities that we visit on the Walmart FLW Tour,” notes Dalbey. “I also hoped that others would join in this mission, and I’m honored that Todd and Red Gold have values that align with mine and have offered to help with our cause. It’s quite a blessing.”
Hollowell, in his fourth year as a Tour pro, saw the opportunity to help and took action.
“I’ve come to know Rich through fishing the Tour, and I have a lot of respect for him for his selflessness and humility,” says Hollowell. “He’s put a lot of time and energy into coordinating these food drives, and he’s truly making a difference. Having participated in Red Gold’s Run to Crush Hunger the past three years and knowing Red Gold’s annual mission is to assist in stocking local food banks, I wanted to get involved personally to help Rich and to help bring awareness to Hooked on Helping. Red Gold has generously agreed to donate 1,000 pounds of tomato products – that’s amazing.”
An Indiana company, Red Gold is the largest privately owned tomato processor in the nation. The company traces its roots, investment and job creation in Indiana back three generations to 1942, when it began producing tomato products for the soldiers overseas. Red Gold produces premium-quality canned tomatoes, ketchup and tomato-based products for the retail, foodservice, private brand and club channels of distribution. The Red Gold family of consumer brands includes Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso, and Sacramento.
For more information, visit hooked-on-helping.org.