LISLE, Ill., Nov. 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It was a special morning at a Food 4 Less in Evanston, Ill., as Eckrich, Food 4 Less and former NFL linebacker Jim Morrissey honored a local military family. Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, and Operation Homefront, a national non-profit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, presented the Stanton family with $5,000 in free groceries at Food 4 Less, courtesy of Eckrich.
Morrissey, a 1985 Super Bowl Champion, surprised the Stanton family on behalf of Eckrich. Morrissey was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears in the ‘80s and ‘90s, a team many consider to be one of the best in NFL history.
“I’m grateful Eckrich has given me the opportunity to say thank you to the Stanton family today,” said Morrissey. “Eckrich is supporting this family in such a special way with $5,000 in free groceries at Food 4 Less, and it is a tremendous acknowledgement of everything that our military families have sacrificed.”
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.
Eckrich, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
Christopher Stanton served in the U.S. Marine Corps for seven years and was medically separated in 2009. He was deployed to Iraq twice and injured during his second deployment. Stanton lives in Round Lake, Ill. with his wife Jaisey and three children.
"Eckrich is proud to partner with Food 4 Less to honor a deserving Illinois military family," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "This event continues our dedication to support military families across the country. We are pleased to honor the Stanton family with $5,000 in free groceries at Food 4 Less."
For more information about Eckrich please visit www.eckrich.com.
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
Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit that builds strong, stable and secure military families. Leading more than 2,500 volunteers across the nation, Operation Homefront provides emergency financial assistance, housing and other critical support to the families of service members, veterans 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 OperationHomefront.net.