LISLE, Ill., Aug. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats and a brand of Smithfield Foods, Walmart and Tarleton State University Men's Basketball Head Coach Lonn Reisman partnered to honor SSG Thomas Kennington and his wife, Miranda, a Dallas-area military family, with one year of free groceries at Walmart on behalf of Eckrich.
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Coach Reisman and Eckrich surprised the family with free groceries at the Walmart in Stephenville, Texas. Reisman is heading into his 28th season as head coach of the men's basketball program as well as his 25th year as the Director of Athletics at Tarleton State University.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to partner with Eckrich to give back to such a deserving military family," said Reisman. "Our military families are deserving of support, and it was wonderful to have the chance to honor a family in my own community. Being able to personally thank the Kennington family was an experience I won't soon forget, and I hope that they enjoy their free groceries at Walmart."
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 that provides emergency financial assistance to military families as well as a wide array of family support programs, and transitional and permanent housing.
Eckrich, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, recently surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012.
"We are dedicated to supporting military families across the country, and it's great to have partners like Walmart and Coach Reisman who are committed to this cause as well," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "It is an honor to provide the Kennington family with one year of free groceries to show our thanks for their sacrifice."
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®, 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.
