BOISE, Idaho, Oct. 18, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich®, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and perfectly seasoned deli meats, partnered with Albertsons to honor 10 local military families on Tuesday as part of a military appreciation event.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ffb4e43a-6f40-4919-adfc-0880bc732e71

During this special event, Eckrich led each of the 10 families on a $300 in-store shopping spree, then surprised them each with an additional $1,000 gift card, totaling $13,000 across all families. Former Boise State football superstar Ian Johnson joined Eckrich and Albertsons for the event, and helped present the gift cards to the families.

The 10 service men and women came from all branches of the military. Bill Berde served in the United States Marines and completed a tour in Iraq. Berde is married with four children and one on the way. Krista Bloom served in the Navy and completed a tour in Iraq. She and her husband have two children. Kimberly Miles, a Marine who served in Iraq, has two children. Her late husband was also a Marine. Kevin Anderson served in the United States Army and completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He and his wife have three children. Tyrel Disney served in the United States Army and completed three tours in Iraq. He and his wife have three children. Joe Rektor served in the Marines and completed a tour in Iraq. Audrey Byrum served in the United States Army and has two children. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Charles Puckett currently serves at Mountain Home Air Force Base, and is married with two children. MSgt David Tippery currently serves at Mountain Home Air Force Base, and is married with four children. Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Case currently serves at Mountain Home Air Force Base, and is married with four children.

"Eckrich is proud to partner with Albertsons to recognize these very special military families," said Michael Baughman, Smithfield Foods director of marketing. "These families have sacrificed so much in service to our country, and this gift of groceries to them is a small sign of our appreciation for all that they have given."

"I believe it is tremendously important to pay tribute to those who serve and have served our country," said Ian Johnson. "It's been an absolute privilege to join Eckrich and Albertsons today to help celebrate these military families."

This event was part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank, and support military families all across the country.

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 $15 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 Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, with both a strong local presence and national scale. The company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 19 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Companies is dedicated to helping people across the country live better lives. In 2015 alone, with the help of generous customers, Albertsons Companies and the Albertsons Companies Foundation gave more than $270 million in food and financial support to the more than 2,300 communities they serve, improving the lives of millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, programs for people with disabilities, and veterans outreach. Albertsons Companies is committed to making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Contact:
Hannah Meadors
Breaking Limits for Eckrich
2137 South Blvd., Suite 200
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Cell: 434-250-4770
E-Mail: hmeadors@breakinglimits.net