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10 Hormel Foods Charitable Trust Scholarships Awarded

Apr 21, 2007

AUSTIN, MINN. – Ten children of Hormel Foods Corporation employees have been awarded college scholarships sponsored by the multinational marketer of consumer-branded meat and food products.

Scholarships were awarded through the company’s charitable trust program to the 10 high school seniors who will enter undergraduate college in the fall of 2005. Three are recipients of Merit Scholarships. They are: Joseph Mullenbach, Adams, Minn.; Samuel Potter, Long Prairie, Minn.; and Crystal Reyelts, Bennington, Neb.

Special Scholarships sponsored by Hormel Foods are being given to seven students. They are: Laura Dahlgren, Monroe, Ga.; Melissa Kastenschmidt, Onalaska, Wis.; Ashleigh Leitch, Willmar, Minn.; and Kelsey Feragen, Maxine Mason, Keisha Radloff and Michael Symonds, all from Austin, Minn.

For the 39th consecutive year, Hormel Foods has provided funds for four-year scholarships to be awarded to the children of current, retired or deceased employees of the Austin-based corporation and its subsidiaries. The students are required to attend accredited undergraduate colleges or universities in the United States.

Scholarship recipients were selected by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. (NMSC), an independent, nonprofit organization in Evanston, Ill., that helps academically-talented students obtain college scholarships. Financial assistance is provided to these high school students who met stringent NMSC requirements that included scores of the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, scholastic abilities, involvement in school and community activities, and leadership qualities.

Each scholarship winner receives financial assistance ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 a year for four years. A total of 96 children of Hormel Foods employees competed for the 10 scholarships.

Funds have been provided each year by the corporation since the scholarship program was established in 1966. To date, scholarships have been awarded to 227 children of company employees.

Information about each Hormel Foods charitable trust scholarship recipient follows:

Mullenbach

Joseph Mullenbach has been attending Southland High School in Adams. He is enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and will major in engineering.

Joseph is the son of Randy and Laura Freund. Randy is an employee at the Hormel Foods Austin plant.

Potter

Samuel Potter has been a student at Long Prairie-Grey Eagle High School. He plans to attend the University of Minnesota in Morris, majoring in mathematics.

Sam’s parents are Steven and Nancy Potter. Steven is staff accountant with the company’s Dan’s Prize plant in Long Prairie.

Reyelts

Crystal Reyelts has attended Marian High School in Omaha, Neb. She will be a student next fall at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and major in premedicine and music.

Crystal is the daughter of Daniel and Kangae Reyelts. Daniel is a lead supervisor at the company’s Fremont plant.

Dahlgren

Laura Dahlgren, a student at George Walton Academy in Monroe, Ga., is currently enrolled at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., where she intends to major in political science.

Laura is the daughter of Jeff and Vicky Dahlgren. Jeff is purchasing manager at the Hormel Foods plant in Atlanta, Ga.

Kastenschmidt

Melissa Kastenschmidt has attended Luther High School in Onalaska, Wis. She plans to attend Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee, majoring in health services management.

Melissa’s parents are Kevin and Bethany Kastenschmidt. Kevin is a project manager at the company’s Century Foods International operation in Sparta, Wis.

Leitch

Ashleigh Leitch is a student at Willmar High School. She will attend the College of Saint Benedict in Saint Joseph, Minn., and major in political science and Spanish.

Ashleigh is the daughter of Glenn and Tori Leitch. Glenn is senior vice president of the commodity and supply chain division for the Jennie-O Turkey Store in Willmar.

Feragen

Kelsey Feragen has been attending Austin High School. She is enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she intends to major in engineering.

Kelsey’s parents are Jody and Duane Feragen. Jody is vice president and treasurer at the corporate office in Austin.

Mason

Maxine Mason has been a student at Austin High School. She will attend the University of Wisconsin in La Crosse, and major in psychology.

Maxine is the daughter of Steve and Shari Mason. Steve is a grocery products inventory supervisor at the corporate office in Austin.

Radloff

Keisha Radloff has attended Austin High School. She is enrolled at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities, and intends to major in French and Italian.

Keisha is the daughter of Rochelle Jech and Mark Radloff. Rochelle is an employee at the corporate office in Austin.

Symonds

Michael Symonds has been a student at Austin High School. He plans to attend the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, majoring in business administration.

Michael’s parents are Ford Symonds and Marijo Alexander. Ford is corporate manager of credit and claims at the corporate office in Austin.