Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, created an unforgettable experience for an Indiana military family on Saturday outside the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Eckrich partnered with Operation Homefront, Kroger, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver “The King” Richard Petty and current driver of the No. 43 Ford, Aric Almirola, to honor and thank the Hill family for their service and sacrifices at a surprise presentation during the Brickyard 400 race weekend.
Christopher and Kristina Hill and their family, from Columbus, Indiana, were invited by Eckrich and Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families, to the races in Indianapolis where they were surprised by Petty and Almirola with one year of free groceries at Kroger, courtesy of Eckrich.
Petty, then shared his gratitude for the family’s service before surprising them with the keys to a brand new 2016 Ford F-150 truck that was packed with a new grill, a cooler full of Eckrich Smoked Sausage and other grilling accessories. The gifts from Eckrich totaled more than $50,000.
Eckrich, Petty and Almirola have partnered to honor U.S. military families since 2012. Petty is NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver on the track, but is also known for the contributions he makes to help others.
“Our military families make it possible for us to go out and do what we do each weekend,” said Petty. “We enjoy giving back to them and showing them our appreciation. It’s the least that we can do.”
Almirola, who was born on an Air Force base and raised in a military family, is familiar with the sacrifices made by military families.
“It’s great to have this opportunity with Eckrich to honor our military families and thank them in such a cool way,” said Almirola. “I know that military families make a lot of sacrifices, but don’t ask to be recognized. It’s special to be able to surprise the Hill family with a new Ford truck, free groceries and other gifts.”
Hill is currently a staff sergeant with the Indiana National Guard. He has served honorably for 15 years and has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife Kristina is now his caregiver. The family has five children.
“I don’t have any words to express what these gifts mean,” said Christopher Hill. “I just can’t believe that Eckrich, Richard Petty and Aric Almirola just gave me a new truck! It’s just amazing that something like this happened. As a military family, we just can’t thank everyone enough for their support. It’s important for all military families when someone like Eckrich and organizations like Operation Homefront and Richard Petty Motorsports give back. It makes us feel appreciated and today was an awesome experience.”
The event is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Hill family is supported by Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program, a network of caregivers for wounded, ill or injured service members.
Eckrich, in its fifth year of partnership with Operation Homefront, has donated more than $2.5 million to the organization since 2012.
“Eckrich has long supported our military families,” said Chuck Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Our partnership with Richard Petty, Aric Almirola and Operation Homefront has allowed us to present our military families with some unforgettable experiences. Today, we are proud to honor the Hill family with not only free groceries at Kroger, but also a new truck. We thank them for their service and sacrifice.”
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com or follow Eckrich on Facebook and Twitter.
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