Press Release | KALITTA MOTORSPORTS, KALITTA AIR, DHL EXPRESS
YPSILANTI, Mich. - - Earlier today, DHL Express and the 2024 “Race to End Hunger” partners donated two million meals to Feeding America and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, bringing the program’s overall five-year total to 11 million meals. With some 49 million people in the United States currently experiencing food insecurity, DHL Express, Kalitta Air and Kalitta Motorsports united their efforts in the “Race to End Hunger.” The initiative provides critical hunger relief for families in need, both during the upcoming holiday season and beyond.
For the past five years, DHL and its dedicated U.S. employees have been actively collaborating with local food pantries and the Feeding America® network of local food banks, as part of their annual volunteering and charitable-giving campaign. This ongoing program supports families in need while aligning with DHL’s mission of “Connecting People. Improving Lives.”
This year, DHL expanded its internal campaign, giving employees the option to also donate through its DHL online retail store purchases, with proceeds benefiting Feeding America. Combined with DHL’s corporate match of employee donations and its contribution to the “Race to End Hunger” partner program with Kalitta, the company’s total contribution reached 1.25 million meals.
The other 750,000 meals were generated by DHL’s National Hot Rod Association relationships. Two years ago, DHL supercharged its efforts by partnering with Kalitta Motorsports and Kalitta Air to fight food insecurity nationwide, through the “Race to End Hunger.” This year, additional Kalitta partners joined the program, which generated even more meals. Over three years of the campaign, 2.75 million meals were donated to Feeding America and its network of food banks.
During the most-recent six NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events, DHL, Kalitta Air, and Kalitta Motorsports, along with five new “double down” partners – Applied Innovation, Dayco, Future Energy Solutions, Revchem Composites and Toyota – made a substantial impact. For every “win light” achieved by Kalitta Motorsports drivers Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, and Shawn Langdon, which signified winning a round of racing, Kalitta Motorsports donated $1,000, matched by DHL, Kalitta Air and the group of new partners. As a result, each round win generated $4,000 or 40,000 meals.
The “Race to End Hunger” participating companies donated above and beyond the funds generated on the race track allowing for the million-meal donation, and NHRA fan donations are also included in this total. This effort will help provide the equivalent of one million meals through the Feeding America network of partner food banks, including the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, located near In ‘N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif., where this weekend’s In ‘N Out Burger NHRA Finals take place.
“No one should have to worry about where their next meal will come from, and we are committed to doing our part to help,” said Nemer Abohasen, VP and General Manager at DHL Express and Head of U.S. Social Responsibility. “It has been deeply rewarding to collaborate with our long-time partners, Kalitta Air and Kalitta Motorsports, as well as our new partners this year, all of whom share our dedication to addressing the critical issue of food insecurity that affects millions across our country. Our “Race To End Hunger” partners are all strong advocates of our mission, and the impact in the communities we live in continues to be significant.”
Hunger affects people of all ages; everyone needs nutritious food to thrive, and in every community in America, people are working hard to provide for themselves and their families. Yet in 2023, one in seven people experienced food insecurity in the United States.
“We are grateful for the commitment of DHL, and all its partner companies, to our work and delighted that this partnership will help us reach even more of our neighbors facing food insecurity,” Chief Development Officer of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Roger Castle said. “Their ‘Race to End Hunger’ program with Kalitta, this year’s new partner companies and the NHRA is an excellent example of corporate social responsibility for us locally and our partners nationally.”
“On behalf of everyone at Kalitta Motorsports, we were honored to participate in the “Race to End Hunger,” again this year,” Team Kalitta Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta said. “It’s hard to believe that food insecurity is such a big problem in our country, but it’s wonderful that companies like DHL, Kalitta Air, Applied Innovation, Dayco, Future Energy Solutions, Revchem and Toyota, reliable Kalitta Motorsports partners, are also supporting organizations like Feeding America and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank in their fight against hunger. Hopefully one day soon, we can end hunger in the United States.”
“Kalitta Air was proud to be a part of this great program again this year, but seeing the end result with two million meals being provided is truly special,” Kalitta Air Deputy Chief Operating Officer Heath Nicholl said. “We appreciate DHL’s leadership in this effort and thank them for helping fight hunger in our country. Unfortunately, much more work remains, but two million meals can make a difference.”
For more information about Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, please visit www.feedingamerica.org and for more information about the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, please visit www.lafoodbank.org.
(Photo Courtesy Kalitta Motorsports)
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