LISLE, Ill., Nov. 06, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, and Kroger teamed up to honor a Kentucky military family for their service and sacrifice. Legendary college basketball coach Denny Crum joined in the surprise, helping to present the Jensen family with $5,000 in free groceries at Kroger, courtesy of Eckrich.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e6472ba-973f-4291-9176-42a1a1e8e0e3
Crum, a Hall of Fame basketball coach, led the University of Louisville men’s team to two NCAA championships in his 30 years of coaching and is a local favorite in the Louisville community.
“I am excited to partner with Eckrich to honor the Jensen family," said Crum. "Eckrich is honoring a deserving family from the community that I've called 'home' for 45 years, and I couldn't be more grateful for their generosity.”
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, has surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012.
Retired U.S. Army Sergeant Christopher Jensen honorably served in the military for 18 years. SGT Jensen completed three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. He medically retired from service after being injured during his last tour. He now lives in Kentucky with his wife, Marista, and their four children. SGT Jensen’s wife participates in Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor® program as his caregiver.
"Eckrich is dedicated to recognizing military families across the country," said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "We are proud that Kroger and Coach Crum share in our commitment to support our deserving military families. On behalf of Eckrich, it is our honor to provide the Jensen family with $5,000 in free groceries.”
Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods. For more information about Eckrich please visit www.eckrich.com.
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.