Nathan's Famous Celebrates Play with Donation to Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Houston

LISLE, Ill., March 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ Nathan's Famous brought a taste of Coney Island to the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Houston on Thursday as part of its Ready. Set. PLAY. initiative, a partnership created in 2014 with KaBOOM!. Ready. Set. PLAY. celebrates play and the local leaders who are making active play possible in communities across the nation.

Those involved with the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Houston were treated to a Coney Island-themed afternoon. Nathan's Famous brought its mobile tour to Houston where children enjoyed carnival games such as pop-a-shot and skee-ball, a miniature three-horse carousal, a Zoltar Fortune Teller coupon machine and, most of all, Nathan's Famous Premium Beef Hot Dogs.

Commemorating the achievements of the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Houston, Nathan's Famous surprised Patrick Mouton, Aldine Westfield Branch Director for the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs in Houston, with an H-E-B gift card worth $1,000 towards the purchase of groceries, courtesy of Nathan's Famous.

"When you're only expecting Nathan's Famous' mobile tour and its games for the kids, you are somewhat speechless when presented with a $1,000 gift card for the purchase of groceries at H-E-B on behalf of Nathan's Famous," said Mouton. "This will have an immediate impact on offsetting the costs associated with our programs here in Houston."

"We believe balanced, active play is important for children and their development, and the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Houston puts forth an incredible amount of work to keep Houston's youth active, 365 days a year," said Mike Paribello, Sr. Director of Marketing, Nathan's Famous. "Nathan's Famous is extremely proud of our partnerships with KaBOOM! and the impact it has not only on local communities, but the individual kids who benefit from these builds."

The Salvation Army of Greater Houston serves Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties through various programs and services intended to meet human needs without discrimination. The organization provides disaster relief, emergency response services, youth and senior programs, rehabilitation, counseling, financial assistance, housing, and Christmas assistance. The cornerstone of the Army's youth program is the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Houston.

KaBOOM! partnered with the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Houston in July of 2008 to build a playground located at the Irvington Boys & Girls Club Branch location.

Nathan's Famous was founded almost 100 years ago in Coney Island, a popular New York City amusement and leisure destination. Nathan's This is the Original with great quality, unmistakable taste, and a passion for family fun and community support.

Nathan's Famous is a licensed brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Nathan's Famous
Nathan's is a Russell 2000 Company that currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Cayman Islands and nine foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Nathan's was ranked #55 on the Forbes list of the Best Small Companies in America and was listed as the Best Small Company in New York State in October 2013. Last year, over 480 million Nathan's Famous hot dogs were sold. For additional information about Nathan's please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.

About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Farmland, Armour, Cook's, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Kretschmar, Curly's, Carando, Margherita, and Healthy Ones. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.

About KaBOOM!
KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, particularly those growing up in poverty in America. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has collaborated with partners to build, open or improve nearly 16,000 playgrounds, engaged more than one million volunteers and served 7.4 million children. KaBOOM! creates great places to play, inspires communities to promote and support play, and works to drive the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy lives and communities. To learn why #playmatters: visit kaboom.org or join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom or facebook.com/kaboom.

SOURCE Nathan's Famous