Nathan's Famous Makes Donation to The Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club

Nathan's Famous, the official hot dog of Major League Baseball (MLB) and of the St. Louis Cardinals, has delivered special gifts to the Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club and its families.

A youth-serving organization, the Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club offers direct-service programming to 3,000 children and indirect programming to more than 10,000 in athletics, education, arts, healthy living, leadership and professional development annually.

Nathan's Famous invited youth members to enjoy the games and activities of its Coney Island-themed mobile unit at the club. During a special presentation, the hot dog brand gave the children and their families free tickets to an upcoming St. Louis Cardinals game, and provided the Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club with free hot dogs for a year, along with a $1,000 gift card to Schnucks.

The gifts from Nathan's will help the club fulfill its mission of producing well-educated, physically active and hopeful scholar-athletes. Every year nearly 500 young people, ages five to 18, play baseball for Mathews-Dickey. Most recently, the agency has partnered with the Cardinals and Baseball Tomorrow Fund to build a new Adam Wainwright Field in its nearby Bob Russell Park. Located at St. Cyr and Bellefontaine Roads, the facility is in phase two of a three-part restoration geared to build opportunities for children to enjoy recreational activities and develop sportsmanship, character and leadership.

"We are proud to support organizations such as the Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club that benefit our youth," says Wayne Norbitz, Nathan's Famous executive board member and former 26-year president. "Our partnership with Major League Baseball extends beyond the stadiums and into our communities to help keep our children active and give them a safe and fun place to enjoy the game of baseball."

The world-famous hot dog brand is a sponsor of the PLAY BALL initiative, which is MLB's collective effort to encourage young people and communities to participate in baseball- or softball-related activities, including formal leagues and events, as well as casual forms of play. In particular, the initiative highlights the many ways the game can be played, including activities outside of traditionally organized baseball and softball leagues and tournaments, ranging from playing catch, stickball and participating in skills competitions like "Pitch, Hit & Run."

Smithfield Foods is the licensee of Nathan's Famous pre-packaged hot dogs, selling a wide variety of beef franks at supermarkets across the country including natural casing, skinless, bun-length, 50-percent reduced fat, angus and more.