BUTTERBALL, DHL TEAM UP WITH RYAN HUNTER-REAY TO DONATE WHOLE TURKEYS TO MIDWEST FOOD BANK

11.13.17
With the spirit of giving in mind, Andretti Autosport partners Butterball and DHL have teamed up with 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and his team to give back to the Indianapolis community.     
An annual tradition since 2014, Butterball, who accounts for 20 percent of the nation’s total turkey production, along with Andretti Autosport, the back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winning team, gathered Tuesday at Kroger’s newest downtown Indy location to hand-deliver over 700 Butterball whole turkeys and 1,000 boxes of stuffing to various missions served by the Midwest Food Bank.
With the help of DHL, which volunteered its couriers and vans for the pickup and delivery of the turkeys, along with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Butterball Turkey CEO Kerry Doughty, the donations were distributed to Wheeler Mission, St. Vincent de Paul, Westminster Neighborhood Services, Damar Academy and Mary Rigg Community Center – all food pantries across the Greater Indianapolis-area – to help feed over 4,500 people this Thanksgiving.  

We’ve been doing this since 2014 in honor of our Indianapolis 500 win,” said Verizon INDYCAR Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. “This year Butterball has increased the number from 500 to over 700 turkeys distributed. Butterball has supplied the turkeys and DHL hopped on board for the logistics side of it. It’s great to see the Andretti Autosport partners coming together to give back to this community that gives so much to us. I’m happy to be here giving back to the community and happy to be a part of everything that both Butterball and DHL stand for.”

“At Butterball, giving back to those in need in the communities where our employees are based is part of our core values, and partnering with Andretti Autosport and Kroger allows us to fulfill Ryan Hunter-Reay’s desire to do the same,” said Butterball CEO Kerry Doughty. “As a native Hoosier, this is an event I look forward to every year, because this community means so much to me. We hope each turkey is a bright spot in someone’s Thanksgiving this year.”

“We are fortunate to work with great community partners like our DHL-sponsored Andretti Autosport team and Butterball, to help bring a festive Thanksgiving holiday to those in need,” said Christine Nashick, Chief Marketing Officer for DHL Express Americas. “This time of year especially, DHL works to deliver happiness to those who need a little help to truly enjoy the holidays. We are thankful to the many communities we serve, and this is one way we can show our appreciation.”