Agribusiness  August 5, 2020

JBS earmarks $5M to Greeley for COVID relief

This story has been updated.

GREELEY — JBS USA Inc. plans to give $5 million to Greeley-area government and nonprofit bodies to support the community during the dual health and economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, JBS said it will allocate the funds in accordance with the wishes of Greeley city officials and nonprofit leaders to determine where the funds are most needed. All the funds will be committed by the end of 2020, the company said.

Part of that donation, $1 million, has already been earmarked to help build a new stage at Island Grove Arena for the Greeley Stampede concerts. The Greeley City Council approved the deal on a 6-1 vote in their Tuesday night meeting, with councilman Tommy Butler the lone vote in opposition.

The funds are part of a larger $50 million donation announced in May to cities where it has meatpacking operations. It currently operates in more than 50 cities in the U.S.

A JBS spokeswoman said the process for selecting where the rest of the donation will go has just begun, and the company will announce recipients as decisions are made.

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