LISLE, Ill., June 20, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats and a brand of Smithfield Foods, partnered with chart-topping, Platinum-selling country music star Randy Houser and Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame relief pitcher Jeff Montgomery to honor a Lawrence, Kan. military family with multiple surprises over two days.
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On Thursday, Retired Army Specialist Patrick Heier and his wife Teresa were surprised by Eckrich, Walmart representatives and a surprise visit from Montgomery. Eckrich and Montgomery presented the family with tickets and backstage passes to the Houser show on Friday night at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kan.
"Having the opportunity to partner with Eckrich to honor the Heier family was very special," Montgomery said. "They have sacrificed so much as a family and I am proud to be able to show my appreciation for all that they have done. It's important to me that I can work with a great brand like Eckrich to give back to the families in my community that have served our country."
Friday night, the family was a guest of Eckrich and Houser, who is currently touring with Luke Bryan on the Kick The Dust Up Tour and is in his second year working with Eckrich to support military families. The family was surprised when Houser presented them with one year of free groceries at Walmart, courtesy of Eckrich. Houser then took the stage and wowed the crowd with his signature powerhouse vocals and a hit-filled set that included the smash hits "How Country Feels," "Runnin' Outta Moonlight," "Goodnight Kiss" and "Like A Cowboy," as well as Houser's brand new single from a forthcoming album, "We Went."
"It was an honor to meet the Heier family and welcome them backstage at the concert; they are a true inspiration," said Houser. "They have sacrificed so much so that I can stand on stage and do what I love. I am grateful for the opportunity to thank them for their service and make their days a little brighter by presenting the Eckrich donation of free groceries for a year."
SPC Heier was deployed to Iraq from February 2007 to April 2008. Upon return, he was diagnosed with severe PTSD and a mild brain injury. In July 2008, Patrick was honorably discharged from active duty but continued his service through the Ohio National Guard until March 2014 when he was medically retired. The family leads a very busy life between their three children, Teresa's graduate school program and their hobby farm.
The gift of groceries and the opportunity to meet Montgomery and Houser are part of the commitment by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront, a national non-profit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Eckrich, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has already donated more than $750,000 to the charity since 2012. Eckrich is again donating up to $250,000 this year through the contribution of five cents from each purchase of specially marked products from now through July 4. By the end of this year's fundraising period, the expected total donation will surpass $1 million.
"Eckrich is proud to be able to reach out to these deserving families and show our appreciation for their service," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "It was an honor to partner with Walmart, an organization that shares our commitment to supporting military families, to provide this life-changing donation to the Heier family. On behalf of everyone at Eckrich, it is our privilege to provide them with this experience."
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 and www.smithfieldcommitments.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.
About Randy Houser
With an inimitable voice the New York Times describes as "wholly different, thicker and more throbbing, a caldron bubbling over," Randy Houser racked up three consecutive No. 1 hits and more than three million in singles sales to date with his Stoney Creek Records album, How Country Feels. He topped the charts with the title track, "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" and "Goodnight Kiss" (also his first No. 1 as a songwriter) and earned critical acclaim for his powerful delivery of the Top 5 smash, "Like A Cowboy." Houser's new single, "We Went," is available at country radio and digital retailers now, with a new album forthcoming. He is currently touring with Luke Bryan on the Kick The Dust Up Tour. For more information, visit www.RandyHouser.com.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
