LISLE, Ill., June 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the ultimate thank you on Father’s Day, Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, surprised an Ohio military family during Sunday’s Buckeye Country Superfest in Columbus, Ohio with a brand new truck, full of tailgate and grilling items.
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Eckrich partnered with Operation Homefront, Kroger and special guest Randy Houser, a platinum-selling country music star, to honor the military family for their service and sacrifice during a special presentation before Houser’s performance.
The Fearnow family, from West Union, Ohio, was invited by Eckrich and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, to the Buckeye Country Superfest at Ohio Stadium where they were first surprised with free groceries for one year to Kroger, courtesy of Eckrich.
The family was then overwhelmed when Houser presented them with the ultimate thank you, including a brand new 2016 Chevrolet Colorado truck packed with a new grill, a cooler full of Eckrich Smoked Sausage and deli meat and other grilling accessories. The gifts from Eckrich, totaling more than $50,000, were given to thank the Fearnow family for their service and sacrifices.
Houser has partnered with Eckrich to honor U.S. military families since 2014. Houser is known for hits including his four No. 1 singles “How Country Feels,” “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight,” “Goodnight Kiss” and “We Went” as well as the Top 5 smash “Like A Cowboy.” He recently released his fourth studio album, Fired Up, via Stoney Creek Records. The 17-song project follows Houser’s breakthrough album, How Country Feels, and features his latest No. 1 hit “We Went” and current single, “Song Number 7.”
“This is a great way for Eckrich to give back to our military families,” said Houser. “Our military families make tremendous sacrifices and I’m humbled to have the opportunity to team up with Eckrich and Operation Homefront to give back to them. Today’s surprise was really special and I want to thank the Fearnow family.”
Jon Fearnow served in the Navy for seven years as an Intelligence Officer and another six years as a Combat Engineer in the Army National Guard. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife, Brena, has been his caregiver for more than three years. The family has three children.
“I wasn’t sure Randy was serious when he handed me the keys,” said Jon Fearnow. “I just can’t believe it. There are many deserving military families and we’re grateful for this. It is a bit overwhelming right now, but I think once it all settles in, I’ll be even more excited. It’s just a wonderful gift from Eckrich.”
The event is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Fearnow family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members.
Eckrich, a brand of Smithfield Foods, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2 million to the organization since 2012. Now through July 4th, Eckrich is donating 5 cents for every purchase of specially marked products, up to $500,000, to Operation Homefront to assist military families.
“Eckrich is thrilled to honor the Fearnow family on this Father’s Day with free groceries for one year and a brand new truck,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “We have been privileged to give back to our military families over the past five years through our partnership with Operation Homefront and we can’t think of a better way to honor them. We want to thank Randy Houser and Kroger for their partnership and most importantly we thank the Fearnow family for their sacrifice.”
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.
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 $14 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®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, 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 builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families since its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 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 Randy Houser
With an inimitable voice the New York Times describes as “wholly different, thicker and more throbbing, a caldron bubbling over,” Randy Houser racked up three consecutive No. 1 hits and more than four million in singles sales to date with his Stoney Creek Records album, How Country Feels. He topped the charts with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” (also his first No. 1 as a songwriter) and earned critical acclaim for his powerful delivery of the Top 5 smash and CMA Song of the Year-nominated "Like A Cowboy." Houser added a fourth No. 1 to his catalogue with “We Went,” the lead single from his new album, Fired Up, and its second single “Song Number 7” is currently available at country radio and digital retailers. He is currently on the Somewhere On a Beach Tour with Dierks Bentley. For more information, visit www.RandyHouser.com or follow on Twitter @RandyHouser and www.Facebook.com/RandyHouser.