LISLE, Ill., Sept. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, Walmart and former professional baseball player Jim Sundberg honored a local military family at the Walmart in Weatherford, Texas.
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=36428
Sundberg honored the Summers family with one year of free groceries at Walmart, courtesy of Eckrich. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Evan Summers, his wife, Jessica, and their two children were surprised with the gift, which was presented by the World Series champion and three-time All-Star.
"I am proud to partner with Eckrich to support the Summers family and thank them for their sacrifice," said Sundberg. "I admire Eckrich for their commitment to invest in the lives of our military families."
SSG Summers is currently assigned to the Weatherford Recruiting Center as a U.S. Army Recruiter. He has deployed to Afghanistan four times and has received numerous awards and decorations for his service.
The free groceries are a 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.
This year, Eckrich, which has partnered with Operation Homefront the last four years, surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012.
"Like Eckrich, Walmart and Jim Sundberg are great supporters of our military families," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "Eckrich is dedicated to honoring and supporting military families across the country, and it's important that we partner with others who share in that commitment. On behalf of Eckrich, we are proud to present the Summers family with one year of free groceries at Walmart."
For more information about Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, 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.
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
