Eckrich, Operation Homefront and BI-LO Honor Military Family

LISLE, Ill., Sept. 29, 2016 -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with BI-LO and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, to honor a South Carolina military family.

The Camino Family Receives One Year of Free Groceries to BI-LO, Courtesy of Eckrich

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f688e48-0fdf-4b6a-84cd-43b6fa523dfe

Eckrich surprised the Camino family to honor, thank and support them for their service and sacrifice.  The family was presented with a gift of free groceries for one year, valued at of over $13,000, at BI-LO, courtesy of Eckrich.  The family was also presented with tickets to the University of Louisville and Clemson University college football game on Saturday.

Lance Corporal Robert Camino served as a mortarman for four honorable years with the United States Marine Corps.  He was deployed twice, once to Afghanistan and once to Iraq. He earned a Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal and an additional six ribbons, awards and medals. Camino and his wife, Jordan, have been married over seven years and have two children.

“This is a great gift because groceries are one of our biggest expenses,” said Robert Camino. “This gift from Eckrich is going to be a tremendous help to our family. It’s reassuring to know there are companies like Eckrich, BI-LO, and Operation Homefront who support military families.”

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront.  The Camino family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor^® program, which provides caregivers annual retreats, support groups and online communities.

Friday’s event is also part of the Eckrich Road to the National Championship program where a military family will be honored at 13 of the biggest college football games of the year. Eckrich, now in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has already donated more than $2.5 million since 2012.

“We are proud to honor the Camino family today for their service and sacrifice,” said Jennifer Zmrhal, Senior Director, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Today continues our mission to thank, honor and support military families throughout the college football season and entire year.  We are pleased to present the Camino family with free groceries for one year at BI-LO.”

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 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 BI-LO
BI-LO, LLC is a subsidiary of Southeastern Grocers, which is the second-largest supermarket chain in the Southeast based on store count. Founded in 1961, BI-LO employs approximately 14,000 associates who serve customers in nearly 180 grocery stores and 87 in-store pharmacies throughout the three southeastern states of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. For more information, please visit www.bi-lo.com and www.segrocers.com.

Contact:
Jeff Dennison
Breaking Limits for Eckrich
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Direct: 704-766-9061
Cell: 704-252-3356
E-Mail: [email protected]