Kretschmar Continues Alliance with Make-A-Wish®

LISLE, Ill., Oct. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Kretschmar Premium Deli Meats and Cheeses is proud to continue helping make wishes come true. Kretschmar, part of the John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, announced that it has renewed its support of the non-profit organization Make-A-Wish^® for 2014. Kretschmar's support includes the donation of more than $100,000 to Make-A-Wish for the second-consecutive year, bringing the donated total to over $200,000 in the last two years. As part of its donation, Kretschmar will help grant three specific wishes to children with life-threatening conditions throughout 2014.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121112/CL10831LOGO )

"Kretschmar is very pleased to continue our relationship with Make-A-Wish into 2014," said Michael Sargent, brand manager for Kretschmar. "We were thrilled with the results that we achieved in our first year and look forward to making our campaign bigger and better in 2014. Above all, we're excited to help make children's wishes come true and give them a very special experience."

Kretschmar established its association with Make-A-Wish last year. It donated over $100,000 to the organization and helped grant three wishes to children in 2013 as part of a campaign called "Legendary Wishes." The wishes were granted in Kansas City, Mo., Peoria, Ill., and Gretna, Neb.

Additional funding was raised for each wish with help from Kretschmar's retail partners. Sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars, which were sold at its stores' registers for $1 donations, sandwich fundraisers and employee donations, raised an additional $25,000 that was given to Make-A-Wish to enhance wishes for children in the local areas.

"Kretschmar's efforts, along with our retail partners', have led to one of our most rewarding and fulfilling campaigns," said Chuck Gitkin, VP, Marketing, Innovation and R&D, John Morrell Food Group. "Thanks to their endeavors, we were able to go above and beyond our original donation and provide additional support for Make-A-Wish. The smiles on the kids' faces, the joy expressed from the families, the thank you notes from our consumers, it made our hard work worthwhile. We look forward to 2014 and continuing to help make wishes come true."

Kretschmar's alliance with Make-A-Wish will be highlighted through its retail partners in 2014. Photos of Kretschmar-sponsored wishes will be displayed at supermarket deli counters. Kretschmar and Make-A-Wish-branded signage will also be shown throughout the supermarkets partnering with Kretschmar for the campaign.

"Kretschmar understands the value of community involvement to their company and their people, and more importantly, through their sponsorship they have seen firsthand the life-changing nature of a wish-come-true," said Kathy Forshey, vice president of corporate alliances for Make-A-Wish America. "We are happy that Kretschmar is continuing their support of Make-A-Wish and helping make even more wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions."

Kretschmar is a part of the John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD). For more information about Kretschmar Deli please visit www.kretschmardeli.com. 
 

About John Morrell Food Group 
With over a century and a half of experience, John Morrell Food Group brands have become respected and well known for providing premium-quality meat products to families across the United States. With products ranging from lunchmeat and franks to smoked sausage, bacon and pepperoni, the John Morrell Food Group is an important part of consumers' mealtimes. The John Morrell Food Group offers several national and regional brands including Armour®, Eckrich®, John Morrell®, Curly's®, Patrick Cudahy®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Margherita®, Kretschmar® and LunchMakers®.

About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 226,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; nearly 14,000 in 2012 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to learn more.

SOURCE Kretschmar Deli