LISLE, III., Nov. 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kretschmar® Premium Meats & Cheeses has partnered with Homeland and country music star Easton Corbin to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish® Oklahoma. Kretschmar made the donation in Oklahoma City on Wednesday as part of its Legendary Wishes campaign, which helps Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc5f78f0-e071-4779-a15b-3bb8fe0a62a5

Three-time American Country Award winner Easton Corbin invited 9-year-old Wish Kid Arleigh and her family backstage before his performance and presented a donation of $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Oklahoma.  Arleigh was diagnosed in 2014 with Philadelphia Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, which is very rare. She is currently undergoing treatments and was so excited to take a break and be able to accept this check.

"It was an honor to present Make-A-Wish Oklahoma with a check for $1,000 to help bring more wishes to life," said Corbin. "I'm proud to show my support for this cause. This is something really special that Kretschmar is doing across the country to make dreams come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions."

Arleigh and her family were also treated to a live performance by Corbin, Kretschmar's brand ambassador for 2016. Easton hit the music scene in 2009 with a #1 single, "A Little More Country Than That" and won several Breakthrough Artist awards. Since then, Corbin has released three hit albums with songs including "Roll With It," "Lovin' You is Fun," and "All Over the Road." Corbin has a full schedule in 2016 and is currently touring with Carrie Underwood, as well as performing in his own headlining shows.

"We so appreciate Kretschmar and Homeland for supporting our mission and helping us to grant wishes to Oklahoma children with serious illnesses like Arleigh," said Beverly Mullen, Make-A-Wish Oklahoma.

Since partnering with Make-A-Wish in 2012, Kretschmar has donated more than $600,000 nationally and sponsored more than 12 wishes with local chapters through its Legendary Wishes campaign.  Along with its retail partners, Kretschmar has raised additional funding through in-store sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars, employee donations and sandwich fundraisers. Those efforts have raised more than $85,000, which was given to local Make-A-Wish chapters to grant even more wishes.

"Kretschmar is committed to supporting the important efforts of Make-A-Wish and helping 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 Homeland and Make-A-Wish."

This year, Kretschmar helped grant three wishes across the country. In Joplin, Mo., Kretschmar teamed up with Make-A-Wish Missouri to grant a 17-year-old's wish to restore his father's 1970 pick-up. Along with Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee, Kretschmar granted the wish of a teen who wanted to attend the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee. The 17-year-old experienced a country music trip of a lifetime; four days of VIP treatment in the Music City, including an all-star concert at Nissan Stadium and a private Kretschmar Country concert. Kretschmar also helped send a 14-year-old girl to the San Francisco Zoo through Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana.

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 21 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.

About Easton Corbin
Mercury Nashville recording artist Easton Corbin is lauded for his traditional country sound, authentic lyrics and mastery of understatement. American Songwriter says, "Easton Corbin has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made-just made-for singing country music." His self-titled debut album released in 2010 and spawned back-to-back hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It;" making him the first country male artist in 17 years to have his first two consecutive singles reach No. 1.  In 2012 the Gilchrist County Florida native released his sophomore album, All Over The Road, which included the Top 5 hits "Lovin' You Is Fun" and "All Over The Road."  Corbin set a career-best debut on Country Airplay with his top 5 hit single, "Baby Be My Love Song," from his No. 1 debuting album About To Get Real.  His current single "Yup" is climbing the country singles chart. Corbin is currently on tour with Carrie Underwood's The Storyteller Tour.

Contact:
Leah Rubertino
Breaking Limits for Kretschmar
(626) 676.3735
lrubertino@breakinglimits.net