FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOct 10, 2011—RALEIGH, NC
The venerable Pork Chop Shop will again tempt the taste buds of N.C. State Fair attendees in 2011 and this time pork lovers will have a chance to help out in the fight against childhood hunger in their own communities. For more than 20 years, the Pork Chop Shop has been a feature at the fair, representing an agribusiness that employs more than 46,000 North Carolinians and has an annual impact of more than $9 billion on the state's economy. Sponsored and operated by the N.C. Pork Council (NCPC), the Pork Chop Shop will again be located alongside Hillsborough Street and adjacent to Dorton Arena directly beside the new Gate 1. Over the fair's 11-day run, the Pork Chop Shop will serve thousands of plates of Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue and pork loin.
Ann Edmondson, NCPC's director of communications and marketing, noted, "This year, we are donating a portion of our proceeds to The Food Effect, the campaign we co-sponsor in support of the state's food banks." Edmondson added, "Childhood hunger in our state is a concern for all of us in the pork industry. Statistics show that North Carolina is tied with Louisiana for the highest percentage of hungry children, one in four under the age of five." The Food Effect is driven by an online network designed to unite people in the fight against childhood hunger in North Carolina and the negative impact it can have on children's development. The campaign's website, (TheFoodEffect.org) is enabling people to give money or time to the food bank in their area via one of N.C.’s seven regional food bank organizations, and to create discussion of the hunger issue within their social networks. Each year, volunteers work in the full-service Pork Chop Shop, comprising 1,500 square feet under a pink and white-striped tent familiar to thousands of loyal customers. Staffed by pork producers and others directly involved in the state's pork industry, the restaurant offers wholesome food at modest prices. It’s also a way to observe October as National Pork Month. Many of those industry members working in the Pork Chop Shop spend valuable time with customers as they build public trust in their products and their practices while promoting pork. Last year, more than 16,000 customers were served 2,328 pounds of pork loin, 2,700 pounds of chopped barbecue, 300 pounds of hot dogs and 875 pounds of hush puppy mix. The Pork Chop Shop will be open from Thursday, October 13 through Sunday, October 23. Opening day hours are 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. with the remainder of the schedule running from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.
About the N.C. Pork Council (www.ncpork.org) The North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC) is the statewide organization chartered in 1962 to support producers and allied industry partners within the North Carolina pork industry. Today, the pork industry in the state includes more than 2,100 farms, about 46,000 full-time jobs and adds $9 billion to North Carolina’s economy.
Contact: Ann Edmondson 919.781.0361