SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Pork Producers Association wanted to create a contest on Facebook to spread gratitude and happiness around the community. When presented the opportunity to distribute shelf-stable, precooked bacon, IPPA came up with the #PassTheBacon campaign.
Facebook users were to nominate their local food pantry by commenting on the #PassTheBacon post. Of the 1.9K entries, seven winners were chosen at random. Those seven pantries each received fifty boxes of bacon and the nominators 10 boxes a piece.
Of those seven winners, Lacie Ball of Galesburg was the lucky draw to receive her bacon delivered via drone. To kick-off “Pork Month” on Oct. 1, Lacie and sons Hunter and Rowan anxiously awaited their bacon drop-off in their front yard. You can find the video here.
Lacie had nominated FISH of Galesburg as her entry to the contest. FISH of Galesburg is an emergency food pantry that has been helping to feed the hungry of Knox County since 1970. The mission of FISH is to provide food for those in need.
The 7 winning nominations were:
- Cass County Food Pantry: nominated by Ruth Simmons
- Edinburg Food Pantry: House on the Rock Church: nominated by Dan Swinson
- First Baptist Church Food Pantry: nominated by Darla Rose
- FISH of Galesburg: nominated by Lacie Ball
- Moms on a Mission, Dupo: nominated by Stephanie Gesiriech
- Outreach Community Center: nominated by Deanna Morris
- St. Elmo Food Pantry: nominated by Donnie Payne
“Thanks to the generosity of the Illinois Pork Producers Association and our wonderful members for nominating Moms on a Mission, we were able to #passthebacon onto our Homeless friends! Shelf stable, pre-cooked bacon is a godsend for many of our homeless friends! A treat! They were very grateful!” said Dawn Putnam, Moms on a Mission in Dupo.
— Illinois Pork Producers Association
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