LISLE, Ill., Nov. 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, Operation Homefront and Albertsons honored a local military family. The Slay family, of Eugene, Ore., was surprised prior to the start of the University of Oregon home football game with one year of free groceries at Albertsons, courtesy of Eckrich.
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After the free grocery presentation, valued at over $13,500, the Slay family and representatives from Eckrich, Operation Homefront and Albertsons were escorted onto the field of Autzen Stadium. During the first quarter of the game, in front of 50,000 fans, the family had the opportunity to earn an additional $5,000 in free groceries.
The family watched as Doug Campbell, Albertsons Vice President of Marketing and Merchandising, attempted five, five-yard passes into a target. Eckrich provided an additional $1,000 in free groceries to the Slay family for each successful throw.
Campbell completed three passes, making the total grocery donation valued over $16,500.
The gift of free groceries and the opportunity to attend the football game 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.
U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Scott Slay served in the military for four years and completed two deployments to Iraq. His wife, Sarah, participates in Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program as his caregiver.
“One year of free groceries from Eckrich will help our family immensely,” said Sgt Slay. “It is great to know that Eckrich and Albertsons care about military families and want to give back. Receiving one year of free groceries and an additional $3,000 is a blessing to our family, and we’re grateful the support of Eckrich.”
Eckrich, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has surpassed $1 million in donations since 2012.
“Eckrich is committed to supporting our military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. "Albertsons has been a partner with us all year as we have honored deserving families. We are proud to have them join us in today’s tribute and on behalf of Eckrich, it is our privilege to honor the Slay family with $16,500 in free groceries.”
Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods. For more information, 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 Albertsons
Albertsons is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. We operate stores across 33 states and the District of Columbia under 18 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market and Carrs.
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.