LISLE, Ill., Sept. 11, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On a day of remembrance, Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, paid tribute to a local military family. The Brown family, stationed at the Ft. Lee (Va.) United States Army Post, were surprised by Eckrich and the Richard Petty Motorsports race team, who presented them with free groceries for one year and the opportunity to be guests of the team and Eckrich at the race in Richmond on Saturday night.
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Army Specialist Daquana Brown and her two children were greeted at Ft. Lee by Eckrich and a Richard Petty Motorsports team representative who presented the family with official race crew shirts, hats and tickets to Saturday night's race. But, the surprise was not complete until a gift of one year of free groceries at the Ft. Lee Commissary was presented to Brown, all courtesy of Eckrich.
"I'm just really shocked," said Brown after the surprise. "I didn't expect this and I am thankful to Eckrich and Operation Homefront for everything they did today. My kids loved the race car and we are big fans of Eckrich and Richard Petty Motorsports. It was a special moment for us."
Eckrich, a sponsor of the famed Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43, has partnered all year with the race team 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.
"Richard Petty Motorsports has joined Eckrich for the third consecutive year to honor our military families," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "We are proud to give back to the Brown family and we hope they enjoy their year of free groceries and their time at the race."
The day's events are 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, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, recently surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012. 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 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. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
