CAG ConAgra Brands Inc

Comerica Park's Four Hawker Finalists Display Ballgame Battle Cries During a Pre-Game Ceremony; Title Decided by Fan Votes, Passion for Hawking, Creativity and Overall Technique Tigers fans have spoken. The culmination of Hebrew National's first-ever "Higher Authority Hawker Challenge" came to an operatic end during a pre-game ceremony on July 21, when Charley "Opera Man" Marcuse took the title of Comerica Park's "Higher Authority Hawker." As the Tigers geared up to face the Oakland Athletics, four of Detroit's finest hot dog vendors, whom fans had selected through in-stadium voting over the past four weeks, prepped for their own competition on-field. In a nail-biting showdown that paired passion with poise, the finalists, consisting of hot dog vendors Julius King, Brenda McCants, Charley Marcuse and Johnny Kelmar, showed fans what it takes to be a Higher Authority Hawker by displaying their award-winning cries. Charley's bellowing hawks proved that he could stand out from the crowd. Tigers fans and the Hebrew National brand recognized him as the Higher Authority Hawker. To win the title of Hebrew National Higher Authority Hawker, Marcuse had to modify his hawker cry. The standard hawker cry, "get yer hot dog," was not enough to get past the infield for first-place Detroit Tigers fans, nor did it cut the mustard for hawking premium Hebrew National franks, which are made from 100-percent kosher beef, made with only the finest cuts of meat, with no additive colors or fillers. "Although Opera Man took the crown, we saw some great performances from many of Detroit's best hot dog hawkers, and were happy to see vendors make the Hebrew National battle cry their own," said marketing manager Jon Swadley. Hebrew National, where "kosher" means "quality," recruited the highest-quality, most outgoing and energetic hot dog hawkers to be rewarded for serving Detroit's avid fans. "While the baseball players perform on the field, the food hawkers are in command in the stands," Swadley said. "The Higher Authority Hawker Challenge enabled Hebrew National to salute those unsung baseball heroes who make our days at the park truly memorable." Hebrew National's Higher Authority Hawker Challenge began Friday, June 16. Comerica's food hawkers put on one "yell" of a competition to win the hearts and votes of Tigers fans, with their own distinctive hawking styles. Marcuse, the legendary Hawker known to fans as "Opera Man," did just that and Hebrew National is honoring him with a luxury trip to New York City to see the Tigers take on the men in pinstripes. Hebrew National will roll out the red carpet with a personal wait staff at Yankee Stadium. When the Tigers win, the night will have become the hawker's ultimate FAN-tasy. For the duration of the program, Hebrew National positioned a Higher Authority Hawker voting station on the main concourse of Comerica Park, where, during Tiger home games, fans viewed the hawker audition tapes on a television monitor, submitted votes for their favorite hawker and checked back to view the current leaders. After voting for their favorite hawker, fans were enrolled automatically for a chance to win a Hebrew National Prize pack consisting of free tickets to a future Detroit Tigers baseball game and coupons for free Hebrew National kosher franks. July 21 will go down in Detroit baseball history as the day fans added Charley "Opera Man" Marcuse to the roster of such Tigers greats as Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Al Kaline and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez.. Although the 2006 Higher Authority Hawker competition came to an end, Hebrew National salutes all of Comerica's hot dog hawkers. The Hebrew National brand is a registered trademark of ConAgra Brands,Inc. About ConAgra Foods ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM and many others. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com.