LISLE, Ill., Oct. 09, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats and a brand of Smithfield Foods, partnered with Albertsons and former professional football player Todd Heap to show their appreciation to a local military family in a very special way. The Koss family, who lives in Peoria, Ariz., was surprised by Todd Heap outside their local Albertsons and presented with a gift of free groceries for one year, courtesy of Eckrich.
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Heap, an Arizona native who played college football at Arizona State University before moving up to play professional football for 12 seasons, was honored to represent Eckrich in his home state.
“I’m proud to partner with Eckrich to support the Koss family,” said Heap. “There’s a huge place in my heart for our military families and the service they’ve given to all of us. It was important to partner with Eckrich so I could come here and give back.”
The gift of groceries is 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.
Retired Army Private First Class Robert Koss, his wife, Christine, and their two young daughters have made sacrifices worthy of recognition by Eckrich. Retired PFC Koss served in the Army for two years and was medically separated due to injuries sustained during his service. Now at home in Arizona, he volunteers at a local veteran’s center to give back to other retired service members. His wife, Christine, participates in Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program as his caregiver.
"We are proud to continue to honor our military families across the country," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "Our partners at Albertsons share in our commitment. It is our honor to provide the Koss family with one year of free groceries."
Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods. 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.
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.