LISLE, Ill., Oct. 31, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Meijer and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, to honor a Michigan area military family.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c741e8d7-6f62-4a58-8431-9c9f131821e2
Eckrich surprised the Rimer family, of Albion, Mich. at Meijer to honor, thank and support the family for their service. As the family checked out at the register they were surprised with a gift of free groceries at Meijer for one year, valued at more than $13,000, courtesy of Eckrich. The family was also presented with tickets to the University of Michigan at Michigan State University football game on Saturday.
Brent Rimer joined the United States Army in 2000. Rimer served as a specialist cannon crew member. He completed a tour in Iraq. Rimer’s wife Diana also served in the United States Army. Together they have seven children.
“This gift of groceries from Eckrich will relieve a lot of stress from our family," said Diana Rimer. "Military families are often forgotten. It is comforting to know there are companies, like Eckrich, who are dedicated to honoring military families.”
The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Rimer family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of more than 3,000 caregivers which provides annual retreats, support groups and online communities.
Friday’s event is also part of the Eckrich Road to the National Championship program where a military family will be honored at 13 of the biggest college football games of the year. Eckrich, now in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has already donated more than $2.5 million since 2012.
“Eckrich is proud to honor both Brent and Diana for their service,” said Jennifer Zmrhal, Senior Director, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Eckrich realizes how important it is to honor, thank, and support our military families and we are pleased to present the Rimer family with free groceries for one year with our partner, Meijer.”
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.
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 $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.