Pilgrim's vaccination sweepstakes offers chance to win free meat for a year

JBS USA and Pilgrim's Promise announced the "Your Shot at Free Meat for a Year" program to encourage the vaccination of those living in rural areas where the company operates.

In partnership with local health authorities, the company will sponsor a series of free vaccination clinics and vaccine promotion events across more than 40 JBS USA and Pilgrim's communities in the coming weeks. During the events, at least one newly vaccinated participant per location will be eligible to win free beef, pork and poultry to feed a family of four for the next year. The company will also donate more than 1 million pounds of free beef, pork and poultry to support local communities hosting vaccine clinics.

Pilgrim's is the second-largest industrial employer in Sumter County.

"Most recently, our focus has been on providing the free opportunity of vaccination to our U.S. team members as a way of helping bring an end to the pandemic," said JBS USA CEO Andre Nogueira. "We've made great progress, and our vaccination rates are much higher than the rates in the communities that we call home. The JBS USA and Pilgrim's 'Your Shot at Free Meat for a Year' sweepstakes is our way of encouraging our fellow rural community members to join the fight against COVID-19 through vaccination."

JBS USA and Pilgrim's have promoted vaccination among their workforce of more than 66,000 employees. The company's vaccination program includes onsite clinics, paid time off, a $100 incentive bonus and a multi-lingual education campaign.

Team members working in the company's rural facilities are not as commonly vaccinated as in the more urban facilities.

Any unvaccinated person 21 years of age or older who attends a JBS USA or Pilgrim's-sponsored vaccination clinic or promotional event and receives his or her first COVID-19 vaccination has the chance to receive free beef, pork and chicken for the next year courtesy of JBS USA and Pilgrim's. Company-sponsored clinics will take place from June 26 to Aug. 31. Over the course of the events, 50 people will be randomly selected as sweepstakes winners.

"Vaccination progress in the U.S. has started to slow, with less than half of eligible Americans being fully vaccinated," said the CEO of Pilgrim's, Fabio Sandri. "It is our hope that the 'Your Shot at Free Meat for a Year' sweepstakes will encourage more people to get vaccinated."