Kretschmar®, Corner Market and Sunflower Food Stores Partner with Make-A-Wish® Mississippi to Grant Local Wishes

LISLE, Ill., Nov. 07, 2016 -- Kretschmar® Premium Meats & Cheeses has partnered with the Roberts Company, Inc. family of stores to help Make-A-Wish® Mississippi make dreams come true for Mississippi children battling life-threatening illnesses. Now through November 12, shoppers at participating Corner Market and Sunflower Food Stores in the Hattiesburg, Miss. area can help by purchasing a one dollar or five dollar Make-A-Wish star at the cash register.

Miller, 4-year-old Wish Child Battling a Congenital Cardiac Condition.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66df3506-cb1d-45b8-91f8-bd7b8430936f

"We are extremely proud to partner with Kretschmar and Make-A-Wish Mississippi for the second-straight year," said Mike Sowden, Chief Operating Officer, Roberts Company. "Working within our community to champion a good cause is important to us, we firmly support Make-A-Wish and their efforts to give wish children an incredible boost of strength.”

Deli customers can also help by purchasing Kretschmar Make-A-Wish Hero Club Sandwiches. A portion of Hero Club Sandwich sales will help grant the wishes of local children like Miller, a 4-year-old boy battling a Congenital Cardiac Condition. His wish is to visit a popular Orlando, Fla. theme park.  

"Everyone at Kretschmar is grateful for Make-A-Wish and their efforts to make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions," said Michael J. Sargent, Senior Brand Manager, Smithfield Foods. "We are privileged to have the opportunity to make more unforgettable experiences possible with help from Make-A-Wish, Corner Market and Sunflower Stores, and I believe many of our customers also appreciate the opportunity to easily contribute to a great cause while they are doing their grocery shopping.”

Since 2012, Kretschmar has contributed over $600,000 to Make-A-Wish nationally and sponsored more than 12 wishes with local chapters through its Legendary Wishes campaign. Along with retail partners like Corner Market and Sunflower Food Stores, Kretschmar has raised additional funding through sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars sold at registers, employee donations and sandwich fundraisers. These efforts have raised $75,000 locally, which was given to Make-A-Wish chapters to grant more wishes.

Most recently, Kretschmar sent a young animal lover to the San Francisco Zoo and Safari West in Northern California. 14-year-old Jasmyn experienced the trip of her dreams; she and her family were surrounded by nature’s most beautiful animals in their natural habitats.

For more information about Kretschmar Deli and its involvement with Make-A-Wish visit www.KretschmarDeli.com or www.Facebook.com/KretschmarDeli.  

Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Kretschmar
Kretschmar® Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats are delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions world-wide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kretschmardeli or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.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 Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 35 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.

Contact:
Leah Rubertino
Breaking Limits for Kretschmar
(704) 766-9064
[email protected]