Tyson details assistance given to Moore, Okla.

Tyson Foods said its disaster relief teams served more than 80,000 meals to survivors and rescue workers in the aftermath of last month’s devastating tornado in Moore, Okla.

The meat giant’s 53-foot Meals that Matter mobile feeding unit left the company’s Springdale headquarters the day after the tornado hit. Aboard the semi-trailer were thousands of pounds of food, ice  and other essential supplies.

More than 70 Tyson employees from 18 different company locations were involved in the relief effort in Moore, working an estimated 3,000 man hours serving three meals a day to those in need.

The company said it worked with the National Guard and other organizations to distribute food into the affected areas and was one of the primary ice suppliers.

At the end of a two week on-the-ground effort, the company served approximately 73,000 pounds of food and distributed 90,000 pounds of ice, a combined value of more than $247,000.

Jason Betts, a nurse manager at Tyson’s Noel, Mo., facility was one of the first responders on site in Moore.

“As a nurse and first responder, I’ve always cared for other people and it’s an awesome feeling to work for a company that does so much to feed those affected in times of disaster,” Betts said.

In addition to the food, Tyson also agreed to match employee donations up to $100,000, which is being to given to the American Red Cross as financial support for their ongoing relief efforts in the Moore community

Tyson Foods has one processing facility in Oklahoma – a chicken plant in Broken Bow that employs about 2,200.