Deryl Arnold Memorial Golf Tournament now has donated over $10,000 since 2009

AUSTIN, Minn. – Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 — Nearly $2,400 was donated Tuesday by employees of the Hormel Foods Corporation’s Austin plant in support of The Hormel Institute’s world-renowned cancer research.

Hormel Foods employees presented a check to The Hormel Institute’s Executive Director Dr. Zigang Dong for $2,378.91 raised from the annual Deryl Arnold Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept. 16 at River Oaks Golf Course in Austin. It was the long-time event’s fourth-straight year of devoting its fundraising to support cancer research at The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota-Mayo Clinic.

Named in memory of former Hormel Foods plant manager Deryl Arnold who passed away from cancer, the tournament now has donated more than $10,000 to The Hormel Institute’s cutting-edge cancer research. Hormel employees determined the tournament would honor the long-time plant manager and make advances in cancer research.

“Our employees take great pride in raising this money through our annual Deryl Arnold Memorial Golf outing,” said Tim Fritz, Plant Manager of the Hormel Foods Austin Plant.

In addition to the annual golf tourney, Fritz and the Hormel Foods plant employees also raised funding last February as part of Austin’s first “Paint the Town Pink” citywide initiative to raise awareness and support for The Hormel Institute’s breast cancer research.

These types of community partnerships are vital for supporting The Hormel Institute’s cancer research, said Dr. Zigang Dong, Executive Director of The Hormel Institute.

“Our friends at Hormel Foods know that research is the only answer to cancer and they continue to provide significant, unwavering support for our cutting-edge cancer research,” Dong said.

“We are very grateful,” Dong added, “for this annual support from the Deryl Arnold Memorial Golf Tournament as well as the other yearly fundraisers that are so vital for helping our cancer researchers continue to make progress in their aggressive search for discoveries leading to the prevention and control of this devastating disease.”

With one of the top scientific publishing records, The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota – Mayo Clinic is a world-renowned cancer research center conducting research focused on discoveries leading to the prevention and control of cancer. Its scientists conduct research focused on how cancer works and what nontoxic, natural compounds can be used to prevent and control cancer.

The BioScience Triangle growing the collaborative partnership between the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Mayo Clinic-Rochester and The Hormel Institute-Austin is continuing to expand, with plans for a major expansion in 2013 at the Institute to add 20 state-of-the-art labs and better space for its International Center of Research Technology.