Spencer Family Surprised with One Year of Free Groceries at Walmart, Valued Over $13,000

LISLE, Ill., Sept. 3, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, Walmart and guest Steven Hohenberger, Paris High School football head coach and athletic director, honored a local military family Wednesday morning at the Walmart in Paris, Texas.

A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=35835

Hohenberger surprised the family with one year of free groceries at Walmart, courtesy of Eckrich. Army Staff Sergeant Devin Spencer, his wife Christen and their three children were all in attendance at the event. Hohenberger is entering his third season with the Paris Wildcats as head coach and athletic director.

“It is a privilege to partner with Eckrich to honor and support the Spencer family,” said Hohenberger. “Devin, Christen and their children have sacrificed a great deal for our freedom, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to surprise such a deserving family. It was an amazing blessing for me to join Eckrich in honoring the Spencer family with one year of free groceries at Walmart.”

SSG Spencer and his wife Christen have one daughter and two sons. He enlisted in 2004 and has served in multiple military police positions throughout his service. SSG Spencer recently returned home from service and currently represents the Fort Worth Recruiting Company, Dallas Recruiting Battalion, in Weatherford, as the Assistant Center Leader.

The gift of groceries is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront, a national non-profit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families.

This year, Eckrich, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012.

“Eckrich is proud to partner with Walmart and Coach Hohenberger to honor this deserving family,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Eckrich is dedicated to supporting military families in conjunction with our partners who share this commitment. On behalf of everyone at Eckrich, it is our privilege to provide the Spencer family with one year of free groceries at Walmart.”

For more information about Eckrich please visit www.facebook.com/EckrichMeats. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

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 $15 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®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook’s®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan’s Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, 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 leads more than 2,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog groups, nationally, 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.

The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.

CONTACT: Laura Pugh
         Breaking Limits for Eckrich
         2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
         Charlotte, N.C. 28203
         Direct: 704-766-9074
         Cell: 704-728-4091
         E-Mail: [email protected]