LISLE, Ill., Nov. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thanks to Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, and Fry’s, an Arizona military family was honored by NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and American icon, “The King” Richard Petty on Sunday morning before the race at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...ebf63eb275
Retired Army Sergeant Joshua Goddard and his family were greeted at the race track by the Richard Petty Motorsports team and escorted to meet the legendary driver. Petty surprised the family with $1,000 towards the purchase of groceries at Fry’s, courtesy of Eckrich. The family then had the opportunity to watch as Richard Petty Motorsports driver, Aric Almirola, raced on Sunday afternoon.
Eckrich, a sponsor of the famed No. 43, has previously partnered with Petty to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront, a national non-profit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families. Petty has been a supporter of military families for many years, but each time he meets a family it is always unique and special.
“Eckrich really knows how to give back to our military families,” said Petty. “There are so many deserving military families and Eckrich continues to honor them with their own special way of saying ‘thanks’. It’s great to watch the reactions of the families. They are always humbled and appreciate that Eckrich takes time to pay tribute to their sacrifice.”
SGT Joshua Goddard served in the Army from 2000 to 2014. SGT Goddard served overseas in Kosovo and Iraq. His wife Janeen is a member of Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor program and together they have two children.
The gift of groceries is part of the commitment by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. In its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, Eckrich has donated more than $1 million since 2012. Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
“Like Eckrich, Fry’s and Richard Petty are great supporters of our military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “We are proud to show our appreciation with a VIP NASCAR experience and $1,000 in free groceries at Fry’s.”
For more information about Eckrich, 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 Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 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®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan's Famous®, 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 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.
Contacts: Jeff Dennison Eckrich 2137 South Blvd., Suite 200 Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Direct: 704-766-9061 Cell: 704-252-3356 E-Mail: jdennison@breakinglimits.net Heather Lumpp Richard Petty Motorsports 2137 South Blvd., Suite 200 Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Direct: 704-766-9069 Cell: 847-302-5509 E-Mail: hlumpp@breakinglimits.net
