OAKWOOD, Ga. (February 01, 2008) – Employees at seven Wayne Farms facilities in four states shared one common goal this past holiday season—they all wanted to give back to the communities that support them throughout the year.

• Albertville, Ala.—Using $3000 from a fundraiser held earlier in the year, employees partnered for the 15th year with the Marshall County Christmas Coalition to purchase gifts and warm winter clothing for more than 20 area children. The company even sponsored a special luncheon and had Santa Claus deliver the gifts.
• Danville, Ark.—During their first year of participation in the Yell for Toys program, employees donated an estimated $1,000 worth of toys to the organization, which has been collecting toys for deserving children in Yell County for more than 15 years.
• Decatur, Ala.—Employees from all three Decatur-area facilities (East/West Further Processing and Fresh Processing) joined together to collect almost 1000 cans of food for families in need. The employees also created approximately 40 “holiday hope chests,” wrapped shoe boxes filled with candy, toys and other small gifts, for the Volunteer Center of Morgan County, which distributes them to local children.
• Dobson, N.C.—Just before Thanksgiving, employees and vendors wrapped up several months of fundraising and food donations and were able to deliver more than 14,000 (5,167 lbs) food items and a check representing employee donations totaling $1,219 to the Foothills Food Pantry, which provides food to families throughout Surry County.
• Pendergrass, Ga.—Wayne Farms and its employees donated holiday hams to local elementary schools and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department for distribution to area families in need.

“The holidays cause many of us to take time to reflect how we can make life a little easier for others,” said Elton Maddox, Wayne Farms LLC president and CEO. “We are proud of the desire of our employees to help their neighbors and thank them for continuing to make Wayne Farms a true part of their communities.”

In addition to the charitable activities listed above, many recurring annually, Wayne Farms facilities also participated in festive holiday events in or around their cities. Employees at the Douglas, Ga., facility, for example, placed first in float design out of more than 100 local businesses and organizations in the city’s annual Christmas Parade.

About Wayne Farms LLC

Wayne Farms LLC is the fourth-largest vertically integrated poultry producer in the United States with annual sales exceeding $1 billion. A subsidiary of ContiGroup Companies, Inc., Wayne Farms LLC owns and operates 13 fresh and further-processed facilities throughout the Southeast, produces more than 1 billion pounds of poultry products each year, and employs more than 9,200 individuals.