Winner winner, chicken dinner.
The Ravens and Perdue announced a multi-year partnership Monday, as Perdue becomes the Official Chicken of the Baltimore Ravens. The deal teams up two iconic Maryland organizations to feed Ravens players, fans, and the wider community.
It's the first partnership with an NFL team for Perdue, which was founded in 1920 in Salisbury, Md., and is now a fourth-generation, family-owned company.
Chairman Jim Perdue remembers going to Baltimore Colts games when he was growing up. His father had season tickets in the upper deck of Memorial Stadium. Now they (and many of their employees) are proud Ravens fans.
The Ravens have focused on partnering with local companies and found alignment with Perdue beyond business when it came to making an impact in the community.
"Perdue is a Maryland institution and a trusted brand that has brought families together for generations," Ravens Senior Vice President and Chief Sales Officer Kevin Rochlitz stated. "There's a special sense of pride when two iconic hometown organizations come together to celebrate our state, enhance the fan experience and make a meaningful impact in the community."
Here are the highlights of the deal:
- The debut of the Perdue logo patch on Ravens practice jerseys, beginning this season.
- Perdue chicken served throughout M&T Bank Stadium, including the Ravenous Chicken Box.
- Perdue products used to feed Ravens players and staff at the Under Armour Performance Center.
- The launch of "Rushing to Fight Hunger," a partnership with the Maryland Food Bank. For every 100 rushing yards accumulated by the Ravens, Perdue will donate 1,300 meals to Maryland families facing hunger.
The Ravens ran for 2,662 yards last season (No. 2 among teams), led by Derrick Henry's 1,595 yards (No. 2 among individual players). With an upgraded offensive line, the Ravens may churn out even more chicken dinners this season.
"If Derrick Henry stays healthy, we could be spending a lot of money for folks in the state of Maryland," Jim Perdue said. "That would be exciting to do."
"There's a lot more to our company over our 106-year history than just being on a grocery store shelf," added Chris Perdue, senior vice president of marketing at Perdue. "This is about really providing great quality protein to anyone and everyone regardless of how they come across it."
The Ravens have a longstanding relationship with the Maryland Food Bank and Perdue has worked with them for 20 years. Over the past 10 years, Perdue has given more than 12 million pounds of food to the Maryland Food Bank and recently surpassed $1 million in donations.
The partnership officially kicked off Tuesday at the Maryland Food Bank, where leaders from Perdue Farms and the Ravens donated nearly 43,000 pounds of chicken, which equates to 35,600 meals, and volunteered alongside Maryland Food Bank staff.
"These kind of partnerships are what the Maryland Food Bank go," said Meg Kimmel, president and CEO of the Maryland Food Bank. "We cannot do what we do without other organizations. As wonderful as our staff is, the need in Maryland is so high and the need is so deeply entrenched in our state right now. We need everyone to come together. Today is so inspiring and we're really honored to be part of this campaign."
