LISLE, Ill., Oct. 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — It was a special morning yesterday at a Bashas’ in Chandler, Ariz., as Eckrich, Bashas’ and former professional basketball player Cedric Ceballos honored a local military family. Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, and Ceballos presented the Green family with $5,000 in free groceries at Bashas’, courtesy of Eckrich.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/52e36d0f-b08d-44ba-8e4e-7171529e1e89
Ceballos, a former NBA All-Star who played professionally for 11 seasons, was known to be a dynamic scorer. Ceballos was a welcome addition to this morning’s event, as he helped surprise the Green family with the gift of groceries.
“It’s an honor to team up with Eckrich in their campaign to thank and support military families,” said Ceballos. “The Green family is an inspiration, and I’m privileged to present them with $5,000 in groceries.”
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.
Eckrich has donated more than $1 million to Operation Homefront since 2012.
Cpl. Yancy Green served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, and was deployed to Iraq twice. His wife Tiffany participates in Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program as his caregiver, and leads a local support group for other caregivers in her area.
“Eckrich is proud to partner with Bashas’ to honor a deserving Arizona military family,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Today’s event continues our dedication to support military families across the country. We are pleased to honor the Green family with $5,000 in free groceries at Bashas’.”
For more information about Eckrich please visit www.eckrich.com. 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.
About Bashas’ Family of Stores
Bashas’ Family of Stores – the family-owned grocer that operates Food City, AJ’s Fine Foods, Eddie’s Country Store, and both Bashas’ and Bashas’ Diné Markets – is an Arizona-based company founded by brothers Ike and Eddie Basha, Sr. With more than 130 grocery stores, it is one of the largest employers in the state and one of the Best Places to Work in Arizona. Since the company’s inception in 1932, Bashas’ has given back more than $100 million to the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.bashas.com and www.myfoodcity.com.
CONTACT: Contact: Faye Shroff Breaking Limits for Eckrich 2137 South Blvd., Suite 200 Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Direct: 704-766-9062 Cell: 704-591-4353 E-Mail: [email protected]