LISLE, Ill., Aug. 27, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, Jewel-Osco, Operation Homefront and the Chicago White Sox partnered to surprise and honor a local Chicago military family.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=35634
First, Joseph and Jacqueline Yancoskie were surprised by Eckrich at a Jewel-Osco in downtown Chicago with tickets to the Chicago White Sox game on Tuesday night and the opportunity for Joseph to throw out the first pitch at the game. But, the surprises for the Yancoskie family didn't end there. Just before making the ceremonial pitch, Eckrich recognized the family on-field and presented them with free groceries for one year at Jewel-Osco on behalf of Eckrich.
Joseph enlisted in the Army in 2010 and served three years. He was deployed overseas and was awarded a Purple Heart for his actions in duty. Jacqueline has been a member of Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor program since 2014. Joseph and Jacqueline Yancoskie have four children.
"This is really overwhelming, exciting and it's an amazing feeling for my wife, kids and I," said Joseph after the surprise Tuesday. "There is not of amount of gratitude that I can express for what I'm feeling right now. I can't thank Eckrich and Jewel-Osco enough for what they did today for my family."
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.
"We are dedicated to supporting military families and today was a true example of that in partnership with Jewel-Osco," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "It is an honor to provide the Yancoskie family with a special day at the ballpark capped off with one year of free groceries to show our thanks for their sacrifice."
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 Jewel-Osco
Established in 1899, Jewel-Osco, owned by New Albertsons, Inc., has become the favorite food and drug retailer in every market throughout the Chicagoland area. They have 184 locations in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, employing 31,000 associates while continuing to grow. Find more company information at JewelOsco.com and follow their social channels at Facebook.com/JewelOsco, Twitter.com/JewelOsco, and YouTube.com/JewelOsco.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
