PORTLAND, Ore., May 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich ® , the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and perfectly seasoned deli meats, hosted a special military appreciation event at a local Safeway to surprise American service men and women.
During the special event, Eckrich representatives guided five local veterans on a $300 shopping spree at Safeway. In addition to the shopping spree, former Portland Timbers Major League Soccer (MLS) player, Nat Borchers, joined Eckrich to help surprise each of the veterans with a $1,000 gift card at checkout, bringing the gift total across all veterans to $6,500.
The five veterans served in varying branches of the military and are local to the Portland, Oregon, community. Carolyn Clark served as a lance corporal in the United States Marines for four years. Bruce Polone enlisted in the United States Navy for four years, achieving the rank of petty officer second class. Fred Hahn served as a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force for six years. Both James Bolin and Christ Finke enlisted in the United States Army. Bolin served for three years achieving the rank of private first class, and Finke served for 10 years, achieving the rank of sergeant.
“Eckrich is proud to continue our national campaign to recognize the service of these amazing men and women,” said Michael Baughman, director of marketing for Smithfield Foods. “It’s tremendously important to us to pay tribute to those who serve and have served our country. This gift to these veterans is a small sign of our appreciation for all the sacrifices they have made for our country.”
This surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank, and support military veterans across the country.
“I feel it is of the utmost importance to recognize our military,” said Borchers. “It has truly been a privilege to join Eckrich and Safeway to help celebrate these veterans.”
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, Indiana, to one of the most recognized regional premium deli and meat brands on the market today. 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 ® , Farmer John ® , Kretschmar ® , John Morrell ® , Cook’s ® , Gwaltney ® , Carando ® , Margherita ® , Curly’s ® , Healthy Ones ® , Morliny ® , Krakus ® 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 Albertsons Companies Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. The company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, and Carrs. Albertsons Companies is dedicated to helping people across the country live better lives. In 2015 alone, with the help of generous customers, Albertsons Companies and the Albertsons Companies Foundation gave more than $270 million in food and financial support to the more than 2,300 communities they serve, improving the lives of millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities, and veterans outreach. Albertsons Companies is committed to making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Contact : Hunter PR on behalf of Eckrich Megan Milano MMilano@HunterpPR.com (212) 679-6600
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...557abcb35a
