The Illinois Pork Producers Assn. (IPPA) recently held a creative contest on Facebook to spread gratitude and happiness. When presented with the opportunity to distribute shelf-stable, precooked bacon, IPPA came up with the #PassTheBacon campaign.

Facebook users were asked to nominate their local food pantry by commenting on the #PassTheBacon post. Of the nearly 2,000 entries, seven winners were chosen at random. Those seven pantries each received 50 boxes of bacon, and the nominators received 10 boxes a piece.

Of those seven winners, Lacie Ball of Galesburg, Ill., won the drawing to receive her bacon delivered via drone. To kick off “Pork Month” on Oct. 1, Ball and her sons Hunter and Rowan anxiously awaited the bacon drop-off in their front yard. 

As her entry to the contest, Ball had nominated FISH of Galesburg, an emergency food pantry that has been helping feed the hungry in Knox County, Ill., since 1970. The mission of FISH is to provide food for those in need.

Dawn Putnam with Moms on a Mission in Dupo, said, “Thanks to the generosity of the Illinois Pork Producers Assn. and our wonderful members for nominating Moms on a Mission, we were able to #PassTheBacon onto our homeless friends! Shelf-stable, precooked bacon is a godsend for many of our homeless friends -- a treat! They were very grateful!”