LISLE, Ill., July 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, created an unforgettable experience for an Indiana military family on Saturday outside the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/478d869d-1a7a-46ec-97ce-f4687756f1bb
Eckrich partnered with Operation Homefront, Kroger, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver “The King” Richard Petty and current driver of the No. 43 Ford, Aric Almirola, to honor and thank the Hill family for their service and sacrifices at a surprise presentation during the Brickyard 400 race weekend.
Christopher and Kristina Hill and their family, from Columbus, Indiana, were invited by Eckrich, and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, to the races in Indianapolis where they were surprised by Petty and Almirola with one year of free groceries at Kroger, courtesy of Eckrich.
Petty then shared his gratitude for the family’s service before surprising them with the keys to a brand new 2016 Ford F-150 truck that was packed with a new grill, a cooler full of Eckrich Smoked Sausage and other grilling accessories. The gifts from Eckrich totaled more than $50,000.
Eckrich, Petty and Almirola have partnered to honor U.S. military families since 2012. Petty is NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver on the track, but is also known for the contributions he makes to help others.
“Our military families make it possible for us to go out and do what we do each weekend,” said Petty. “We enjoy giving back to them and showing them our appreciation. It’s the least that we can do.”
Almirola, who was born on an Air Force base and raised in a military family, is familiar with the sacrifices made by military families.
“It’s great to have this opportunity with Eckrich to honor our military families and thank them in such a cool way,” said Almirola. “I know that military families make a lot of sacrifices, but don’t ask to be recognized. It’s special to be able to surprise the Hill family with a new Ford truck, free groceries and other gifts.”
Hill is currently a staff sergeant with the Indiana National Guard. He has served honorably for 15 years and has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife Kristina is now his caregiver. The family has five children.
“I don’t have any words to express what these gifts mean,” said Christopher Hill. “I just can’t believe that Eckrich, Richard Petty and Aric Almirola just gave me a new truck! It’s just amazing that something like this happened. As a military family, we just can’t thank everyone enough for their support. It’s important for all military families when someone like Eckrich and organizations like Operation Homefront and Richard Petty Motorsports give back. It makes us feel appreciated and today was an awesome experience.”
The event is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Hill family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members.
Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2.5 million to the organization since 2012.
“Eckrich has long supported our military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Our partnership with Richard Petty, Aric Almirola and Operation Homefront has allowed us to present our military families with some unforgettable experiences. Today, we are proud to honor the Hill family with not only free groceries at Kroger, but also a new truck. We thank them for their service and sacrifice.”
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®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. 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 since 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.
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the "Fresh From Florida" campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports will also field the No. 43 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.