LISLE, Ill., April 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with WinCo Foods and Operation Homefront to honor a Yakima military family on Friday. Eckrich surprised the Babbitt family at WinCo Foods in Moses Lake, Wash. to honor and thank the family for their service.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/014aa488-b07e-4a41-bd31-3f65b79174e8

When they arrived to the WinCo store, Eckrich surprised the family with a grocery shopping spree. Then at checkout, Eckrich provided the Babbitt family with another surprise: a gift of free groceries for a year at WinCo Foods valued at more than $10,000.

Ronald Babbitt served more than 17 years in the U.S. Navy and Army Reserve. Babbitt worked as a construction mechanic and a truck driver during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Iraqi Freedom, earning several awards and medals. Babbitt and his wife, Brianne, have two daughters. Brianne is a member of Operation Homefront's Hearts of Valor® program, a network of more than 3,000 caregivers of wounded service members which provides annual retreats, support groups, and online communities.

"We are so thankful for Eckrich and Winco Foods," said Ronald Babbitt. "Their support of military families is incredible, and this is an amazing gift."

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank, and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. Eckrich, in its sixth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2.5 million to the organization since 2012. Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

"Eckrich takes great pride in supporting our military men and women who keep our country safe, and are grateful for WinCo Foods' partnership in today's event," said Jennifer Zmrhal, Smithfield Foods senior director of marketing. "It is our honor to recognize the Babbitt family and show our support and appreciation for their service and sacrifice."

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
Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive — not simply struggle to get by — in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.org.

Contact:
Faye Shroff
Breaking Limits for Eckrich
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Direct: 704-766-9062
Cell: 704-591-4353
E-Mail: fshroff@breakinglimits.net