LISLE, Ill., June 12, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Gerrity's Supermarkets to honor a military family for their sacrifice on Friday morning in Scranton, Penn. with $1,000 in free groceries at Gerrity's Supermarkets, courtesy of Eckrich.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=33738
Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, partnered with Gerrity's Supermarkets and Gerry McNamara, a native of Scranton and a member of the 2003 Syracuse University championship basketball team and the team's current assistant coach, to surprise the family outside the grocer.
Veteran Steven "Adlee" Mederrick proudly served his country for six years. Since being honorably discharged in 2010, Mederrick has been spending as much time as possible with his wife and their three children, making up for lost time.
The presentation and surprise for the family is part of the ongoing Eckrich campaign to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront.
"It was an honor to partner with Eckrich to recognize such a deserving military family," McNamara said. "It's great to see Eckrich and Gerrity's give back to a military family in my community. I am proud to be part of this surprise and to have the opportunity to thank them for their sacrifice."
Eckrich is in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors. Since 2012, Eckrich has already donated more than $750,000 to the charity. Eckrich is again donating up to $250,000 this year through the contribution of five cents from each purchase of specially marked products now through July 4. By the end of this year's fundraising period, the expected total donation will surpass $1 million.
"Like Eckrich, Gerrity's and Gerry McNamara are great supporters of our military families," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "We are dedicated to honoring and supporting military families across the country, and it's great to have partners that are committed to that as well. We are proud to be able to show our appreciation to the Mederrick family with $1,000 in free groceries at Gerrity's Supermarkets."
For more information about Eckrich please visit www.facebook.com/EckrichMeats
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®, Gwaltney®, John Morrell®, Kretschmar®, Curly's®, Carando®, Margherita®, 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 and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.
About Gerrity's
Gerrity's is the largest family owned and locally owned supermarket business in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The company operates in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties and consists of nine supermarkets and a home office. The company is owned by Joyce "Mom" Fasula and her son, Joe. Gerrity's is part of Shursave Supermarkets. They employ over 1000 people in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. Gerrity's began in 1895 as a small meat market and became a supermarket in 1980.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
