Alberta pork producers have extended their thanks to those who organized and participated in the World’s Largest Pork Cookout, held in Camrose over four days in late August.

Organizers of the cookout last month presented Alberta Pork with a cheque for $9,600 from the event. The cheque was presented by Dallas Ramey of Copperhead Marketing, who created the cookout, to Paul Hodgman, executive director of Alberta Pork, at the Camrose UFA parking lot where the cookout also took place.

Plans are to use the funds to help producers cope with the emotional impact of facing financial crisis. For example, one option being explored is to hire a crisis counsellor to work with producers. An additional $2,000 in leftover product from the event was donated to the Camrose Open Door Association, an emergency youth shelter.

Corporate sponsors for the cookout included UFA, 790 CFCW, Copperhead Marketing, Calahoo Meats, Spark the Branding Shop and Alberta Pork.

A variety of Alberta pork products from Calahoo Meats and Sturgeon Valley Meats were offered at the event, which ran from dawn until dusk each of the four days.