SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Dec. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --Carando Classic Italian Meats showed its appreciation for the firefighters of Springfield, Mass. and served all of the city's brave men and women a holiday dinner this afternoon at Mason Square Station 8. Carando, along with local retailer Big Y, prepared a feast for the city's 42 firefighters, complete with Carando premium dinner hams, mashed potatoes, green beans and pumpkin pie. Additionally, Carando donated hams to each of the fire stations in Boston as a thank you for the hard work and dedication that the first responders have shown throughout the year.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131222/CL37563 )
Carando, part of the John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, has a production plant located in Springfield and has seen firsthand the acts of courage and sacrifices that its first responders have made for the area. The company aimed to brighten the holidays for the city's firefighters, many of whom spend the holidays away from their loved ones as they stand ready to spring into action and respond to fires, car accidents and other emergencies.
"We can't thank our firefighters enough for their bravery and heroism," said Dan Incaudo, Vice President and General Manager for Carando Classic Italian Meats. "We know that to keep our community safe, many of them will spend their holiday away from their friends and family, and serving them dinner is just a small token of our appreciation. We hope that providing them this meal shows how grateful we are for their contributions to our city."
Approximately 100 people attended the dinner. The firefighters were joined by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who opened the dinner by thanking the firefighters of Springfield for their service. Also in attendance were several employees from Carando, who donned their aprons and polished up their waiting skills to serve dinner to everyone gathered at Station 8.
Carando extended its gratitude to Boston firefighters as well. The company sent its dinner hams to 33 fire stations in Boston to enjoy during the holidays.
"These are the men and women that serve us," Incaudo said. "This is our chance to say 'thank you' and let them know how that we don't take their service for granted."
About Carando
All of our classic Italian meats stay true to the traditional recipes that our founder, Peter Carando, brought to America from his boyhood home in Torino, Italy. One taste is all it takes to discover the authentic Italian difference of Carando.
About John Morrell Food Group
With over a century and a half of experience, John Morrell Food Group brands have become respected and well known for providing premium-quality meat products to families across the United States. With products ranging from lunchmeat and franks to smoked sausage, bacon and pepperoni, the John Morrell Food Group is an important part of consumers' mealtimes. The John Morrell Food Group offers several national and regional brands including Armour®, Eckrich®, John Morrell®, Curly's®, Patrick Cudahy®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Margherita® Kretschmar® and LunchMakers®.
About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $13 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®, 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.
SOURCE Carando
