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Ozarks Food Harvest receives 36,000 pounds of food in support of ongoing food drive

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Eleven percent of Missourians experience food insecurity and every month, nearly 55,000 citizens of the Ozarks are going to bed hungry. Two corporations, McDonald’s and Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN), will join together on Monday, Nov. 23 to ease that burden and join the fight against hunger in the Ozarks. Together, the corporations will donate more than 36,000 pounds of food to Ozarks Food Harvest in addition to the McDonald’s “Cans for Coffee” campaign.

“Cans for Coffee” is a partnership between Ozarks Food Harvest, McDonald’s of the Ozarks, KOLR 10 and KSFX to raise food items for the food bank. A total of 61 McDonalds restaurants across the region are participating in the food drive. Through Nov. 22, customers can donate a non-perishable food item and receive a free small coffee or Hot Chocolate from any participating McDonald’s, including the new McCafé® espresso coffees.

McDonald’s proudly serves many community efforts in the Ozarks,” said McDonald’s Owner Chip McGeehan. “In this season of Thanksgiving we developed our ‘Cans for Coffee’ food drive to encourage our customers to join us in helping the needy in their communities. We also want to thank Tyson for their contribution to this food drive.”

“Our company and our Team Members remain steadfast in our commitment to fight hunger in the communities we serve and we’re honored to add this much-needed centerpiece to the ‘Cans for Coffee’ drive,” said Devin Cole, Tyson Foods vice president of national accounts. “At Tyson, we recognize the need for protein-rich foods and the increasing demands upon the food banks during these difficult times, especially during the holiday season. We’re thrilled to play a part in this great program.”

During the 2007-2008 fiscal year, Ozarks Food Harvest distributed more than 7 million pounds of food throughout its 29 service counties.

“With the current economy, we are seeing more and more families who need food assistance. Protein is an essential portion of a healthy diet and one of the most needed donated items at Ozarks Food Harvest,” said Bart Brown, executive director of Ozarks Food Harvest. “We cannot thank McDonald’s and Tyson Foods enough for helping those in need.”

All food items collected at McDonald’s will be used to help feed the hungry in local communities through the Ozarks Food Harvest.

Since 2000, Tyson Foods has been a leader in the fight against hunger. The company is actively engaged in food-donation events and fund-raising activities year-round to benefit those in need. The protein given by Tyson today brings the company’s total in-kind donations since 2000 to more than 68 million pounds. This milestone equates to more than 216 million meals donated to food banks and agencies serving local communities around the country. Last year alone, Tyson donated nearly 12 million pounds of protein to Feeding America. For more information on how to get involved in the fight against hunger, go to http://hungerrelief.tyson.com/.

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About Ozarks Food Harvest—The Food Bank    
Ozarks Food Harvest dedicated its larger, more efficient distribution center on Sept. 15, 2009. It is the only food bank in southwest Missouri and serves more than 350 hunger-relief organizations, reaching more than 55,000 people each month in 29 Ozarks counties. OFH distributed seven million pounds of food during its last fiscal year — the highest distribution in The Food Bank’s 25-year history — made possible due to its network of charities and direct-relief programs such as the Weekend Backpack Program™, Kids Cafe® and the Mobile Food Pantry™ program. Learn more at ozarksfoodharvest.org.

About McDonald’s USA, LLC         
McDonald’s USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day.  More than 80 percent of McDonald’s 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees.  For more information on McDonald’s visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald’s U.S. restaurants.

About Tyson Foods, Inc.      
Tyson Foods, Inc., [NYSE: TSN], founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 countries. The company has approximately 107,000. Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit www.tyson.com for more details.