Kretschmar Supports Make-A-Wish Oklahoma

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.

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," says 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," says 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," says Michael J. Sargent, senior brand manager, Kretschmar Deli. "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. The 17-year-old experienced the 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.