HoneyBaked Ham Launches Holiday Drive Supporting First Responders

Well-known Premium Food Retailer Supports Gary Sinise Foundation To Raise Money For First Responders; Company Will Also Deliver Holiday Meals During Thanksgiving and Christmas

News provided by

The Honey Baked Ham Company LLC

Nov 15, 2016, 06:00 ET

ATLANTA, Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- With a new national survey showing that 65 percent of Americans said spending time with family makes it feel most like the holidays, The Honey Baked Ham Company LLC today announced a campaign to bring a "taste of home" to the men and women that will sacrifice time away from their families this year to serve their communities. HoneyBaked Ham employees will deliver over 100 meals to first responder work locations across the country during the holidays.

As a part of the holiday campaign, HoneyBaked Ham is bringing much needed support and a "taste of home" to first responders through collaboration with the Gary Sinise Foundation – an organization that has received national recognition and praise for its support of veterans and first responders. Through the Gary Sinise Foundation, HoneyBaked Ham will donate 250 hams and turkeys to families of fallen soldiers and first responders. Additionally, HoneyBaked Ham will raise awareness for the Foundation and its mission by promoting and encouraging support with an opportunity to donate in stores. Proceeds will directly benefit Gary Sinise Foundation's First Responders Outreach program which provides funds for equipment, training, and wellness for first responders and their families.

"First responders make so many personal sacrifices to serve all of us every day," said Molly Kesmodel, senior vice president of HoneyBaked Ham's store operations. "Many of them will be spending time away from their families during this special season of the year and we want to show our appreciation for all they give up to be there in our times of need."

"We are pleased to have the support of HoneyBaked Ham to raise awareness and funds for our much needed first responders outreach program all across the country," said Judith L. Otter, executive director of Gary Sinise Foundation. "We hope all HoneyBaked Ham customers honor the tremendous service and sacrifice of their local first responders this year and make a donation to help us support them."

The Omnibus survey of 1,000 Americans, recently conducted by GFK, also found that 90 percent of the respondents believe that any place can feel like home with the right people and great food. Another 25 percent said they feel most in the holiday spirit when eating a delicious meal.

"The data helped us understand how Americans are feeling and what they are looking forward to this holiday season," said Ms. Kesmodel. "When we learned that one in four won't be traveling home and that the feeling of home can be generated with a good meal, it sparked ideas of how we could leverage those learnings to honor and support those first responders who will be working."

For more information about HoneyBaked Ham's collaboration with Gary Sinise Foundation or to find the store nearest you to get involved, please visit www.honeybaked.com.

About The Honey Baked Ham Company^®Founded in 1957, The Honey Baked Ham Company®, LLC is a premium food retailer with nearly 400 locations nationwide. Over the years, serving HoneyBaked has become a tradition for millions of families. Best known for its signature spiral-sliced, sweet-crunchy-glazed Honey Baked Ham®, HoneyBaked offers delicious, fully-cooked, presentation-ready hams, turkey breasts and other premium meats, as well as deli side items, heat-and-serve dishes, baked goods and desserts. For more information, visit www.HoneyBaked.com.

About Gary Sinise Foundation
The Foundation honors America's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need. Through its R.I.S.E. (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment) program, specially adapted smart homes are being constructed for severely wounded nationwide. Other programs include First Responders Outreach, Relief & Resiliency Outreach, Invincible Spirit Festivals, Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band, Arts & Entertainment Outreach, and Serving Heroes. Its latest program, Soaring Valor, is sending WWII veterans to The National WWII Museum and sponsoring an historian to document their first-hand accounts of the war. For more information, please visit GarySiniseFoundation.org.