Eckrich Teams Up with Operation Homefront and Dollar General to Honor Military Family

Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Dollar General and Operation Homefront—a national nonprofit whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families—to honor a Tennessee military family.

Eckrich surprised the Waldorf family inside a Dollar General store in Madison, Tenn. The family was presented with tickets to see Ole Miss take on Georgia later this fall.

To ensure the family is prepared for all of their grocery needs over the next year, the family was also presented with a surprise gift of free groceries for one year at Dollar General on behalf of Eckrich.

Sergeant Ryan Waldorf served honorably for seven years in the United States Army as a fire specialist and in artillery. His wife, Catherine, became Ryan's caregiver in 2011. Together they have five children, including a son in the Navy.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our family," says Waldorf. "It is amazing that Eckrich and Dollar General honor and support military families in such a special way. We did not know what to expect, but this was amazing. We just want to thank everyone involved." 

The surprise is part of the ongoing campaign by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront. The Waldorf 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 $2.5 million to the organization since 2012.

"As Eckrich kicks off its 2016 college football program, we are proud to be honoring our military families at some of the most exciting college games all season," says Chuck Gitkin, senior vice president, marketing at Smithfield Foods. "Today, with Dollar General, we are pleased to thank the Waldorf family for their service."