Kretschmar® Kicks Off 2020 with $105,000 Donation to Make-A-Wish®

Brand Renews Partnership for Ninth Consecutive Year to Continue Enabling Wishes


SMITHFIELD, Va., Dec. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the season of giving, Kretschmar® Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses will continue to bring smiles to children's faces in 2020 by extending its partnership with Make-A-Wish® for another year. Through the beloved deli brand’s $105,000 donation to Make-A-Wish, Kretschmar will help grant life-changing wishes for children battling critical illnesses.

“Kretschmar has a legacy of giving back to the community, and we’re proud to do our part to help make an impact,” said Michael Sargent, Smithfield Foods senior brand manager. “Our brand is honored to continue the partnership with Make-A-Wish to help make once-in-a-lifetime wishes come true for children facing critical illnesses.”

Since 2012, through the brand’s continued Legendary Wishes campaign, Kretschmar has donated over $1 Million to Make-A-Wish furthering their vision to grant a wish to every eligible child. As part of the brand’s continued commitment to the organization, Kretschmar has also included many retail partners to help raise additional funding through internal fundraisers, employee donations, and in-store sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars. As a result, joint retail partner events have raised more than $200,000 in addition to Kretschmar’s annual donation for local Make-A-Wish chapters throughout the country.

“Kretschmar’s generosity over the years has been inspiring, and we appreciate their continued commitment to bringing life-changing experiences to wish families,” said Holly Thomas, vice president of corporate alliances, Make-A-Wish America. “The ability to grant more wishes as a result of the donation from Kretschmar can help kids build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight a critical illness.”

For more information about Kretschmar and its involvement with Make-A-Wish, visit www.Kretschmardeli.com, www.Facebook.com/Kretschmardeli, or https://www.instagram.com/kretschmardeli/.

About Kretschmar
Kretschmar® Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats is delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions worldwide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com. Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

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. Popular brands include Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Nathan’s Famous®, Farmland®, Armour®, Farmer John®, Kretschmar®, John Morrell®, Cook’s®, Gwaltney®, Carando®, Margherita®, Curly’s®, Healthy Ones®, Morliny®, Krakus®, 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, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish® creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the world’s leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States and in more than 50 countries worldwide. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and nearly 40,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 34 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 315,000 wishes to children in the U.S. and its territories; more than 15,600 in 2018 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.

Media Contact:
Adrienne Taylor
awtaylor@smithfield.com
(757) 357-8520

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/530482bf-2da8-41df-ad76-c176adcdbc8c

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