Eckrich, Operation Homefront and Country Music Star Randy Houser Honor Miami Military Family

LISLE, Ill., April 18, 2016 -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Publix and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families, to honor a Miami military family on Friday. Joining them for this surprise event was a special guest, platinum-selling country music star Randy Houser.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5f2d12c7-5a3b-48e2-bce5-73d9ef63ceb9

Randy Houser invited the Yagual family backstage before his performance and surprised them with a gift of $5,000 in free groceries at Publix, courtesy of Eckrich.  The family then watched Houser perform as part of the Tortuga Music Festival.

Together, Eckrich and Houser have partnered to honor U.S. military families since 2014. Houser is known for hits including his four No. 1 singles “How Country Feels,” “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight,” “Goodnight Kiss” and “We Went” as well as the Top 5 smash “Like A Cowboy.” He recently released his fourth studio album, Fired Up, via Stoney Creek Records. The 17-song project follows Houser’s breakthrough album, How Country Feels, and features his latest No. 1 hit “We Went” and current single, “Song Number 7.”

“These families have sacrificed so much for all of us to have the freedom to do what we love and go out and entertain people every night, so I’m very humbled and grateful for the opportunity to team up with Eckrich and Operation Homefront to give back and hopefully make their lives a little bit easier,” said Houser.

Joel Yagual served four years in the United States Marine Corps.  He completed three tours during his time of service, twice serving in Iraq.  His daily living has been impaired with vivid nightmares.  His wife, Itzel, is his primary caregiver.  The couple has a daughter, Delainey, who enjoys play dates at the park with her family.

“It’s nice to know that other people care about the sacrifices that all our military families are making,” said Joel.  “We appreciate it. Sometimes people say it, but today Eckrich and Publix proved they really care and give back.”

The event is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Yagual family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor^® program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members. Operation Homefront supports these caregivers through annual retreats, support groups and online communities.

Eckrich, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2 million to the organization since 2012.

“Randy Houser has been committed in helping us honor military families across the country,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “We appreciate his partnership and support for military families.  We also appreciate Publix for partnering with us as we give a special thanks to the Yagual family for their sacrifice.  We hope they enjoy $5,000 in free groceries courtesy of Eckrich.”

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 $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®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan's Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Carando® 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.

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 to www.operationhomefront.net.

About Randy Houser
With an inimitable voice the New York Times describes as “wholly different, thicker and more throbbing, a caldron bubbling over,” Randy Houser racked up three consecutive No. 1 hits and more than four million in singles sales to date with his Stoney Creek Records album, How Country Feels. He topped the charts with the title track, “Runnin’ Outta Moonlight” and “Goodnight Kiss” (also his first No. 1 as a songwriter) and earned critical acclaim for his powerful delivery of the Top 5 smash and CMA Song of the Year-nominated "Like A Cowboy." Houser added a fourth No. 1 to his catalogue with “We Went,” the lead single from his new album, Fired Up, and its second single “Song Number 7” is currently available at country radio and digital retailers. For more information, visit www.RandyHouser.com or follow on Twitter @RandyHouser and www.Facebook.com/RandyHouser.

Contacts:
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]

Media Contacts for Randy Houser
Ebie McFarland / Stephanie Rew
Essential Broadcast Media
P.O. Box 120921
Nashville, TN 37212
Direct: 615-327-3259
E-Mail: [email protected] / [email protected]