Eckrich®, Operation Homefront, TOPS Friendly Mark

BUFFALO, N.Y., July 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich ^® , the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with TOPS Friendly Markets, Taste of Buffalo, Operation Homefront – a national nonprofit that serves America’s military families – and country music artist Eric Van Houten to honor a Franklinville, N.Y. family on Saturday.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...5aad456ca4

Eckrich hosted a special presentation to surprise the Thompson family during Van Houten’s concert at the Taste of Buffalo presented by TOPS. Van Houten, a Buffalo native, helped present the family with a gift card for $5,000 in free groceries at the local TOPS Friendly Markets.

Alex Thompson served in the U.S. Army for seven years. He was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011, and earned several medals and ribbons during his time overseas. Alex and his wife, Josey, have been married for six years and have three children. Josey is a member of Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor ^® program, a network of more than 3,000 caregivers of wounded service members which provides annual retreats, support groups, and online communities.

"This gift of groceries is a huge weight lifted off our shoulders," said Alex Thompson. "It means so much to know there are companies out there like Eckrich and TOPS Friendly Markets who are thinking about the military and working to support military families."

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to thank military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. Now in its sixth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, Eckrich has donated more than $2.5 million to support the organization’s mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

“Eckrich is proud to continue giving back to our military families,” said Michael Paribello, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. “The Thompson family is truly deserving of this gift, and we would like to thank TOPS Friendly Markets, Taste of Buffalo and Eric Van Houten for helping us surprise them with $5,000 in free groceries.”

“This is a special day for the Thompson family and we are honored to be a part of it,” said Ralph Basile, Taste of Buffalo chairman. “Alex Thompson has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to our country and we are thankful for his service.”

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 $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 ^® , 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 Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive – not simply struggle to get by – in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America’s military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.org .

About Taste of Buffalo The Taste of Buffalo presented by TOPS is the nation's largest two-day food festival, attracting more than 450,000 people to Buffalo. The not-for-profit Taste, celebrating 34 years in 2017, has more than 1,000 volunteers. More than $360,000 has been raised at the festival for local charities. In addition, five $1,000 scholarships are presented annually to local high school seniors pursuing a culinary or hospitality-related degree. For more information, visit  www.tasteofbuffalo.com , or visit us on  Facebook  and  Twitter .

About TOPS Friendly Markets TOPS Markets, LLC, is headquartered in Williamsville, NY and operates 173 full-service supermarkets with five additional by franchisees under the TOPS banner. TOPS employs over 15,000 associates and is a leading full-service grocery retailer in New York, northern Pennsylvania, western Vermont, and north central Massachusetts. For more information about TOPS Markets, visit the company's website at  www.topsmarkets.com .

Contact: Faye Shroff Breaking Limits for Eckrich 2137 South Blvd., Suite 200 Charlotte, N.C. 28203 Direct: 704-766-9062 Cell: 704-591-4353 E-Mail: fshroff@breakinglimits.net