Austin, Minn. - On June 24 and 25, three events were held to celebrate The Hormel Institute’s 80th Anniversary.
On Friday, June 24, 200 guests including city and state leaders, donors, collaborators, and community supporters attended the official 80th Anniversary Celebration at The Hormel Institute. The program included video messages from U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and in-person messages from The Hormel Foundation Chair Jeff Ettinger, Hormel Foods CEO and President Jim Snee, Mayo Clinic Associate Dean for Research Midwest Dr. Y.S. Prakash, Dean Brian Buhr of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Science, University of Minnesota Foundation President and CEO Kathleen Schmidlkofer, and Minnesota Office of Higher Education Commissioner Dennis Olson Jr. Jeff Ettinger, Bonnie Rietz, and Rollie Gentzler, along with all present from The Hormel Foundation board of directors, were recognized for being the top donor to the University of Minnesota.
Community participants sharing their support included Austin Mayor Steve King, Riverland Community College president Dr. Adenuga Atewologun, John Garry and Craig Johnson from the Development Corporation of Austin and Austin Community Growth Ventures, Eagles Telethon Director Teresa Chapman, Paint the Town Pink supporters Craig Patrick and Jeremy Olson, and Paint the Town Pink Ambassadors who represented all whose lives have been affected by cancer.
The speakers recognized the successes and impact of The Hormel Institute over the past 80 years and shared inspiring messages of hope for the future of medical research. The program also included a special performance from the Austin High School marching band.
On Saturday, June 25, The Hormel Institute hosted two events to say thank you to community members for their continued support. The day started off with Family Learning Day, which brought nearly 400 people to the Institute. Families enjoyed hands-on science experiments, educational activities, a petting zoo, scavenger hunt, and healthy snacks. The goal of this event was to spark an interest in science in young people and inspire the next generation of researchers.
Following Family Learning Day, The Hormel Institute hosted an 80th Anniversary Community Celebration at the Mower County Fairgrounds. More than 600 people attended the event, which included live music, food trucks, and a bean bag tournament.
Watch video shown during the Official 80th Anniversary Celebration
Watch message from US Senator Tina Smith
Watch message from US Senator Amy Klobuchar
View Photo Galleries from our weekend celebrations:
Official 80th Anniversary Celebration