LISLE, Ill., Sept. 07, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Albertsons and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, to honor an Ammon, Idaho military family Tuesday night.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...1fa61a1a77
Three-time American Country Award winner, country music singer Easton Corbin, welcomed the Evans family backstage before his concert in Boise, Idaho and surprised them with a year’s worth of free groceries at Albertsons, courtesy of Eckrich. The family then watched Corbin perform.
"It’s been an honor to join Eckrich and Operation Homefront in their efforts to give back to our military families,” said Corbin. “We are able to go out and perform because of the sacrifices that families like the Evans’ make for us. I hope they enjoy their free groceries for one year from Eckrich and Albertsons.”
Andrew Evans served in the Air Force for 11 years before sustaining permanent injuries. He is now back in school working toward a second bachelor’s degree. His wife, Kari, is his caregiver and a member of Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor ® program, a network of nearly 3,000 caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members. The couple has two daughters.
"Well, I think we were all very surprised," said Andrew Evans. "It's awesome to see people back home support us. I'm just really thankful for this gift and appreciate Eckrich, Albertons and everyone supporting military families."
The event is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Evans family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor ® program, a network of nearly 3,000 caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members. Operation Homefront supports these caregivers through annual retreats, support groups and online communities.
Eckrich, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2.5 million to the organization since 2012.
“Eckrich is proud to partner with Easton Corbin to support and thank our military families,” said Jennifer Zmrhal, Senior Director, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “We want to give a special thanks to the Evans family for their sacrifices, and we are pleased to provide them with a year of free groceries at Albertsons, courtesy of Eckrich.”
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.
Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.
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 $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®, Nathan's Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, John Morrell®, Cook's®, Kretschmar®, Gwaltney®, Curly's®, Margherita®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Krakus®, Morliny®, and Berlinki®. 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 Operation Homefront A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront builds strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. With more than 3,200 volunteers nationwide, Operation Homefront has provided assistance to tens of thousands of military families since its inception shortly after 9/11. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net .
About Easton Corbin With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, Mercury Nashville’s Easton Corbin has made a lasting impression on the country music landscape. He is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, "Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made—just made—for singing country music.” His self-titled debut album released in 2010 and spawned back-to-back hits “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll With It;” making him the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1. In 2012 the Gilchrist County Florida native released his sophomore album, All Over The Road, which included the Top 5 hits “Lovin’ You Is Fun” and “All Over The Road.” Corbin set a career-best debut on Country Airplay with his top 5 hit single, “Baby Be My Love Song," from his No. 1 debuting album About To Get Real . His new single, “Are You With Me,” is already making an impact on the charts and was most added song at country radio the day it was released. “Are You With Me” first appeared on All Over The Road and was such a special song to Corbin he carried it over to About To Get Real in hopes it would be a radio single. Corbin is currently on tour through the Fall 2016 with Carrie Underwood’s The Storyteller Tour.
Contact: Faye Shroff Breaking Limits for Eckrich Cell: (704) 591-4353 E-Mail: fshroff@breakinglimits.net
