LISLE, Ill., Aug. 4, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There was a celebration in Cincinnati for more than just Kroger employees on Tuesday morning. Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, hosted NASCAR driver Aric Almirola at Kroger's headquarters. While making the visit, Eckrich and Almirola surprised medically retired Army Specialist John Dietz and his family with one year of free groceries at Kroger.
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Almirola, who races the famed No. 43 Eckrich Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, made the presentation in the Kroger lobby, where there were more than 500 Kroger employees who showed their appreciation for the Dietz family.
Eckrich and Almirola have partnered to honor military families throughout the country, honoring and thanking them for their service in special ways. A father of two, Almirola appreciates the sacrifices of military families and is honored to help take part in the surprise.
"It's always fun to work with Eckrich to honor and thank our military families," said Almirola. "You always see surprise and then big smiles on their faces. That's really what it's all about and it's cool that Eckrich does this for our military families who have sacrificed for our freedom. It's a great program and I'm really proud to represent Eckrich and Richard Petty Motorsports in this cause."
The surprise and gift 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 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, recently surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012.
Dietz served honorably for five and half years, including two years overseas. Dietz now treasures his time with his wife and two children in Cincinnati, Ohio. With his wife as his full-time caregiver, Dietz and his family participate in Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor® program.
"Eckrich is dedicated to honoring military families and we appreciate that Aric Almirola and Kroger are partnering with us to recognize the Dietz family," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "Today's event, in front of hundreds of Kroger employees, made for a truly special moment for the Dietz family."
For more information about Eckrich please visit www.facebook.com/EckrichMeats.
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 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 Kroger Co.
Kroger, one of the world's largest retailers, employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,626 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 780 convenience stores, 327 fine jewelry stores, 1,342 supermarket fuel centers and 37 food processing plants in the U.S. Recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in America, Kroger supports hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and community organizations. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 200 million meals a year through more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber's Million Dollar Club.
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.
