KRETSCHMAR® TEAMS UP WITH QUARTERBACK KYLER MURRAY, ALBERTSONS, AND SAFEWAY TO DONATE $20,000 TO LOCAL ARIZONA ORGANIZATIONS

Kretschmar is Supporting the Arizona Educational Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley to Help Champion the Development of Arizona's Youth

PHOENIX, March 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Proudly feeding Arizona residents with the finest deli products, Kretschmar^® has set out to support the Phoenix community with donations to champion the development of local educators and youth. Kretschmar has teamed up with quarterback Kyler Murray, along with retail partners Safeway and Albertsons to support the Arizona Educational Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley with donations of $10,000 each.

Yesterday, Kretschmar, Murray, Albertsons, and Safeway hosted a memorable event to celebrate Arizona teachers and educate the community about the Arizona Educational Foundation's impact. With gratitude, Murray helped present a check for $10,000 to the Arizona Educational Foundation, who celebrated the event with local teachers and administrators. The group participated in a lighthearted trivia game to see who had the most knowledge of football, the star athlete himself, and premium meats and cheeses! The donation will support the foundation's mission of celebrating excellence and cultivating equity in Pre-K to 12th grade education.

Shortly after the visit to Arizona Educational Foundation, Murray made his way over to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for another celebration of Phoenix-area youth and teens. Murray hand-delivered a second $10,000 donation from Kretschmar and hosted a personal training session to demonstrate proper football techniques and skills. The monetary contribution will assist the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley in their work to provide a safe, positive, and fun environment for kids during their out-of-school time. 

"Being able to give back to a community that is close to my heart in a meaningful way is one of the greatest opportunities that football has provided me, and it gives me a deep sense of purpose to make a difference in someone's life – especially with the next generation and the educators who are helping guide them," said Kyler Murray, professional American football league quarterback. "I'm thrilled to be teaming up with Kretschmar, Safeway, and Albertsons to support two very important organizations in my adopted hometown that provide our young community members with access to the resources they need to succeed and follow their dreams."

"Kretschmar is excited to team up with distinguished athlete Kyler Murray and longtime retail partners Safeway and Albertsons to support the Arizona Educational Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley, which both serve as steadfast programs for the Arizona community," said Kole Wernowsky, associate brand manager for Kretschmar at Smithfield Foods. "We're proud to champion these organizations that play such a pivotal role in guiding youth and teens to a positive track to adulthood, and we are honored to continue to serve Phoenix residents with our premium meats and cheeses."

"The Arizona Educational Foundation is deeply grateful for this support and recognition from Kretschmar and Kyler Murray. Our nonprofit works tirelessly to ensure that Arizona public schools and their dedicated educators, administrators, and staff get the needed recognition they deserve," said Dr. Pam Roggeman, president of Arizona Educational Foundation Board of Directors. "These funds will help us ensure Arizona public education continues to shine."

"One of the most important things that a world-famous athlete or business leader can do is spend time with young people and show them what's possible. Having one of their heroes, Kyler Murray, spend time and engage with Club members shows them how important they are and what's possible if they work hard toward their goals," said Marcia Mintz, president and CEO for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley. "Our Club members experienced memories for a lifetime from their afternoon with Kyler Murray, and he will shape members' thinking about their place in the world."

About Kretschmar
Since 1883, Kretschmar® premium deli meats and cheeses have meant quality. From our unique smoking process for hams to hand-trimmed fine cuts of beef and poultry, our full line of delicately sliced off-the-bone deli meats come from the leanest, most tender cuts and are gluten-free with no MSG or fillers. In addition, we produce more than 16 flavors of award-winning premium cheeses handcrafted by Wisconsin cheesemakers. For more information and recipes, like us on Facebook (@kretschmardeli) and Instagram (@kretschmardeli) or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com. Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Smithfield Foods, Inc. 
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly.^®" and serve as one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield^®, Eckrich^® and Nathan's Famous^®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

About Arizona Educational Foundation
The mission of AEF is to celebrate excellence and cultivate equity in Pre-K-12th grade Arizona public education. This is accomplished through a variety of programs for teachers, administrators, and students all of which give Arizona public education the shine it deserves. Some programs shine a spotlight on excellence; others provide a stepping stone to help support schools and educators on the road to awesomeness. In addition to the Arizona Teacher of the Year program, AEF also coordinates the Arizona State Spelling Bee, the A+ School of Excellence Award, the Principals Leadership Academy of Arizona, teachSTEM, Take Your Legislator to School, and Our World. AEF was founded in 1983 by then State Superintendent of Public Education, Carolyn Warner, who felt a nonprofit needed to be established to champion public education and recognize the great work of public school educators. AEF annually reaches over 500,000 students, teachers, and administrators throughout Arizona. For more information, visit www.azedfoundation.org.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley offers affordable after-school and summer programs for 13,000+ young people in grades K-12. At Clubs across the Valley, BGCAZ provides award-winning programs designed to change the lives of young people. For over 70 years, BGCAZ has been creating equity and opportunity for youth through academic, social, and workforce opportunities. We help young people make healthy decisions and focus on social and emotional development to build resilient young adults. Most importantly, we work to develop strong character and leadership skills by creating positive connections to caring adults and their communities. For more information: visit bgcaz.org. Follow us on social media at @BGCArizona.

SOURCE Smithfield Foods, Inc.