Hormel Foods invites contest winners to world headquarters

(ABC 6 News) – Hormel employees and the three winners of the Hormel Foods MLK Essay Contest gathered Tuesday at Hormel World Headquarters in Austin, MN.

Through the Hormel Foods Back Leaders and Allies Cultural Knowledge (BLAACK) students from around the country compete in this contest every year.

BLAACK is business resource group who sponsors the elementary and middle school essay competition every year. These students are asked to write an essay with the theme “What does Dr. Martin Luther King mean to me.”

This is the 12th year of the nationwide competition. The goal of the MLK Essay Contest is to highlight diversity and the value and importance of cultural differences and promoting Dr. King’s legacy.

Because of the pandemic this is the first time the event has been held in person in three years. Ronald Nicholson says that celebrating diversity is a huge part of the culture at Hormel Foods.

“To see their reaction, to tell them a little bit about our hometown, to get them to be able to try some of our products and see the expressions on their faces is really heartwarming. Yesterday one for the students landed and this what her first flight ever. So being able to be a part of those unique experiences is something that is really important to me,” said Nicholson.

Ava from Sacramento California, Andre from Minneapolis and Michael from Wilmar Minnesota are the winners of this year’s contest. They beat out hundreds of other entries from 12 schools across the country.

For more information about BLAACK and the competition, click here