LISLE, Ill., June 30, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Strack & Van Til and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, to honor a Shorewood, Ill. military family on Thursday.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1ef5d3e4-7c3f-4de2-91eb-1187a6425227
Eckrich hosted a special presentation, featuring two-time NBA champion Cliff Levingston, outside a Strack & Van Til store in Schererville, Ind. to honor, thank and support the Sanders family. Levingston won two championship rings in 1991 and 1992 with the Chicago Bulls and retired in 1995 after 13 years in the league. He helped surprise the family with a gift of $5,000 in free groceries at Strack & Van Til, courtesy of Eckrich.
“I’m very touched by the generosity of Eckrich and Strack & Van Til,” said Levingston. “It shows that Eckrich truly cares about the community and our service members, and I felt so honored to be a part of the presentation.”
As part of the event, crowds of shoppers were treated to samples of delicious Eckrich smoked sausage and deli meat, live country music and an appearance by Chicago Country radio station 99.5. In addition, Eckrich provided local military service members and their families with $25 Strack & Van Til gift cards to thank them for their service.
Brandon Sanders was a First Lieutenant in the US Army, serving for 18 years. He was deployed in the Persian Gulf War and in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He now runs a non-profit organization, The Rally Point Program, which helps at-risk youth by providing them with positive experiences and role models. His wife, Courtney, is his caregiver and a member of Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor program. The family has four children.
“I really appreciate when companies like Eckrich go out of their way to recognize military families,” said Brandon Sanders. “We’re absolutely stunned and grateful, and we’re planning to pay it forward.”
The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Sanders family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members. Operation Homefront supports these caregivers through annual retreats, support groups and online communities.
Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, entering its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2 million to the organization since 2012. Now through July 4th, Eckrich is donating 5 cents for every purchase of specially marked products, up to $500,000, to Operation Homefront to assist military families.
“Today, Eckrich continues its commitment to support military families across the country,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “We appreciate Strack & Van Til’s partnership and we are proud to present the Sanders family with $5,000 in free groceries.”
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.
About Eckrich
Founded by Peter Eckrich in 1894, Eckrich has a rich heritage starting from a small meat market in Fort Wayne, Ind. Through it all, Eckrich meats have been recognized for their great taste and supreme quality, craftsmanship, care and pride. For more information, visit www.eckrich.com.
About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $14 billion global food company and the world’s largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan’s Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook’s®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly’s®, Margherita®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.
About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.
CONTACT: Contact: Faye Shroff Breaking Limits for Eckrich Cell: (704) 591-4353 E-Mail: [email protected]