Eckrich Surprises Zavodny Family with $1,000 in Free Groceries
LISLE, Ill. – (May 9, 2015) – Thanks to Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, military veteran Michael Zavodny and his family were honored by NASCAR driver Aric Almirola Saturday before the race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
Zavodny and his family were greeted at the race track by the Richard Petty Motorsports team and escorted to the private motorcoach lot to meet the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner. Almirola then surprised the family with a Hy-Vee gift card for $1,000 towards the purchase of groceries, courtesy of Eckrich. The family also were given the opportunity to watch Almirola race on Saturday night.
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. 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. By the end of this year’s fundraising period, the expected total donation will surpass $1 million.
“Like Eckrich, Hy-Vee and Aric Almirola are great supporters of our military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “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 Hy-Vee.”
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®, 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 andwww.smithfieldcommitments.com.
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 Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go towww.OperationHomefront.net.
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, and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and 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.
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