Indiana Family Surprised with a Replica No. 43 Ford Fusion, Free Groceries for One Year
LISLE, Ill. – (July 25, 2015) – Our other car isn’t like this one! That may be the thoughts of Luther and Stephani Martin after Eckrich and NASCAR driver Aric Almirola surprised the military family with a new custom-made 2016 Ford Fusion, designed to replicate the No. 43 scheme that Almirola will race in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The car is unlike any other. Personalized by Petty’s Garage in Level Cross, N.C., the car features customized wheels, tires and a leather interior with the Richard Petty Motorsports logo stitched into the headrest and floor mats. But, the best feature may have been what was in the backseat of the car.
It was there that Almirola helped unveil a gift card for one year of free groceries at Kroger, courtesy of Eckrich.
Eckrich, the makers of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, partnered with Almirola and Kroger to thank the Flora, Ind., military family for their sacrifice. Martin and his family were honored Saturday morning during a press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and will be VIP guests of Almirola and the Richard Petty Motorsports team the rest of the weekend.
The new car and gift of groceries are part of the commitment by Eckrich to honor, thank and support military families through its partnership with Operation Homefront, a national non-profit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Eckrich, in its fourth year of supporting Operation Homefront, just recently surpassed $1 million in monetary donations since the start of the program in 2012.
“This new car is really cool and it’s a wonderful gift by Eckrich for the Martin family,” said Almirola. “We’ve been honoring military families together for the past four years and each time it’s so much fun to see their reaction. We’re excited for the Martins to spend the weekend with our race team and be treated to the full race experience.”
Martin served in the Army for 17 years before medically retiring in 2011. He honorably served as an ammunition specialist during four tours in Iraq. Martin returned home with multiple physical injuries, and now his wife, Stephanie participates in Operation Homefront’s Hearts of Valor® program as his full-time caregiver. Having transitioned back into civilian life, Martin spends the majority of time with his wife and three children and enjoys being outdoors camping and fishing.
“I’m a little lost for words,” said Retired Staff Sergeant Luther Martin. “I was just told that we were coming to the race track today, but we had no idea that we were going to get a new car and free groceries. I’m really thankful and humbled. I can’t thank Eckrich, Aric Almirola and Kroger enough for making this a great day.”
“Our partnership with Aric Almirola and Richard Petty Motorsports has allowed us to do some amazing things for our military families,” said Charles Gitkin, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “Eckrich is proud to present the Martins with this one-of-a-kind car and free groceries for a year. It’s our way of showing our appreciation for their sacrifice.”
Almirola will drive the No. 43 Eckrich Ford for Richard Petty Motorsports during Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
For more information about Eckrich, please visit www.eckrich.com.
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®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook’s®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan’s Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. 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.comÂ
About Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 2,500 volunteers with nationwide presence who provide emergency and other financial assistance to the families of service members and wounded warriors. Operation Homefront has provided assistance to thousands of military families since its inception in 2002. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity watchdog groups, nationally, 92 percent of Operation Homefront’s expenditures go directly to programs that provide support to our military families. For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.net.
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
