This weekend, the American Meat Science Association (AMSA)'s 77th Reciprocal Meat Conference (RMC) will kick-off at the Omni Hotel in Oklahoma City. The four day conference will bring together hundreds of professionals and students throughout the livestock and food industries for learning, networking and more.

With an event so connected to the pork industry happening right here in Oklahoma, an opportunity for the Oklahoma Pork Council to serve as an RMC sponsor made perfect sense. As part of our sponsorship, Oklahoma Pork, in collaboration with Oklahoma State University’s Animal and Food Science Department and Ralph's Packing, will provide 800 pork sticks for event participants to pack for families staying at Oklahoma City's Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) location near the Oklahoma Children's Hospital. These pork sticks will provide a nutritious snack and a little encouragement, thanks to the thoughtful "You got this!" Oklahoma Pork label created by Oklahoma Pork's Shay Stegmann. After being included with other great protein items into backpacks for RMHC families, the sticks will be available at the charity's shelf-stable pantry for deserving families to enjoy throughout the next few months.

The Ronald McDonald House is no stranger to generosity from pork producers. Our farmers have donated hundreds of pounds of pork products to this worthy organization in recent years. The charity provides a free, comfortable place to stay for families of seriously ill or injured children who are receiving inpatient care from the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital. Each year, RMHC OKC serves hundreds of families who come from nearly all counties in the state. Learn more about donations needed at RMHC OKC here. We are proud to continue sharing pork with this special audience!