Military Family Honored by Eckrich, Smith's and NASCAR Driver Aric Almirola

LISLE, Ill., March 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Thanks to Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, Retired Army Specialist Blaine Sullivan and his family were honored by NASCAR driver Aric Almirola Saturday before the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nev. 

Sullivan and his family were greeted at the race track by the Richard Petty Motorsports team and escorted to the garage area to meet the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner.  Almirola then surprised the family with a Smith's gift card for $1,000 towards the purchase of groceries, courtesy of Eckrich.  The family will also have the opportunity to watch as Almirola races on Sunday afternoon. 

Eckrich, a sponsor of the famed No. 43, has previously partnered with Almirola for similar events to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors.  Sullivan and his wife have received support through Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor™ program, which provides support for our Nation's post 9/11 wounded, ill and injured warriors. Almirola, who was born on Eglin Air Force base in Florida, knows the importance of giving back to military families.

"I'm proud to work with Eckrich to honor our military families," said Almirola. "I have two children of my own and I can't imagine how hard it is for our military families.  This is a great way for Eckrich to assist them and I'm glad that I can do my part to help."

Eckrich, in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has already donated more than $750,000 to the charity since 2012. Eckrich is again donating up to $250,000 this year through the contribution of five cents from each purchase of specially marked products from May 1 through July 4.

"Like Eckrich, Smith's and Aric Almirola are great supporters of our military families," said Chuck Gitkin, vice president, marketing, innovation and R&D for John Morrell Food Group. "We are proud and honored to be able to show our appreciation with a once in a lifetime NASCAR experience and $1,000 in free groceries at Smith's." 

For more information about Eckrich and "Operation Inspiration" 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 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 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®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, Gwaltney®, John Morrell®, Kretschmar®, Curly's®, Carando®, Margherita®, 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 and www.smithfieldcommitments.com.

About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish, Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partner Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.

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 total donations to Operation Homefront go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150307/180215
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131125/CL23698LOGO

SOURCE Eckrich

Related Links

http://www.eckrich.com