On Giving Tuesday, Joe Popplewell of Seaboard Foods launched the 2021 Give-A-Ham Challenge with an incredible 10,000-pound pork product donation to the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

Popplewell, who serves as president of the Oklahoma Pork Council Board of Directors, used this opportunity to showcase that giving back is a cornerstone of what pork producers do. He also spoke about the realities of hunger throughout Oklahoma.

For the third year in a row, Governor Kevin Stitt has highlighted Oklahoma pork producers' charitable giving through his involvement in our annual Give-A-Ham campaign. In his video shared via social media on Wednesday, Governor Stitt accepted the challenge and announced he will donate his ham to a longtime foster care provider in Oklahoma City.

The Governor thanked our state's hog producers for their generosity, including a specific shout out to the Seaboard Foods donation further explained below, and he encouraged Oklahomans to donate a holiday ham within their own communities. Governor Stitt's Give-A-Ham video concluded with selection of State Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, Speaker of the State House Charles McCall and Pro Tem of the State Senate Greg Treat being tapped to participate.

In the third week of the challenge, we saw a snowball effect across industries and communities. Challenges have been accepted within government including Lieutenant Governor Pinnell and others. From our friends at OSU, Give-A-Ham involvement has gone through President Shrum, Dean Coon, Athletic Director Weiberg and more. OU President Joe Harroz participated in the challenge, too. We owe a big “thank you” to multiple business owners, pork producers and friends of the Oklahoma Pork Council who helped make the 2021 Give-A-Ham challenge a success.