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[/media-credit]LISLE, IL (July 31, 2012)- When the No. 43 Eckrich Ford Fusion hits Michigan International Speedway next month, there will be an additional name on the car beside driver Aric Almirola’s. Eckrich, part of the John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, will include on the paint scheme the name of a lucky fan who helps the company reach a milestone 100,043 “likes” on its Facebook page.
The “Race to 100,043 Likes” promotion, which launched Tuesday, encourages Facebook users to click the “like” button on Eckrich’s pageto help the company surpass 100,000 followers. If the milestone of 100,043 is met by August 11, the company will reward one participating fan with his or her name on Almirola’s No. 43 Eckrich Ford Fusion at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on August 19. The winner will also receive an authentic Eckrich pit crew helmet signed by Richard Petty, racing legend and owner of Richard Petty Motorsports.
The winner’s name will appear in the paint scheme near the logo of Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit that provides emergency financial assistance to the families of United States service members and wounded warriors. Eckrich supports Operation Homefront through various programs, including its NASCAR partnership with the No. 43 team. In addition to putting the winning Facebook fan’s name on the car, Eckrich will also place the name of a local military family on the car in recognition of their sacrifice.
“The whole idea of social media, of course, is to interact with your fans and followers, and this promotion provides a new and fun way to get even more people engaged with what we’re doing on our page,” said Charles Gitkin, vice president, marketing, innovation and R&D for the John Morrell Food Group. “In the end, one lucky fan will get their name on a race car and, at the same time, we’ll also be drawing attention to Operation Homefront and its efforts to support our military families.”
To participate in the “Race to 100,043 Likes” promotion, visit the Eckrich Facebook page at www.facebook.com/EckrichMeats. Complete details are available on the page’s “Race to 100,043 Likes” tab.
About John Morrell Food Group With over a century and a half of experience, John Morrell Food Group brands have become respected and well known for providing premium-quality meat products to families across the United States. With products ranging from lunchmeat and franks to smoked sausage, bacon and pepperoni, the John Morrell Food Group is an important part of consumers’ mealtimes. The John Morrell Food Group offers several national and regional brands including Armour®, Eckrich®, John Morrell®, Curly’s®, Patrick Cudahy®, Carando®, Healthy Ones®, Margherita® Kretschmar® and LunchMakers®.
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 Operation Homefront A national nonprofit, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,500 volunteers, with nationwide presence, and has met more than 590,000 needs of military families since 2002. A four-star rated charity by watchdog Charity Navigator, nationally, 94 percent of total revenue donated to Operation Homefront goes directly to assist service members. More information is available at 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 entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, 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 and STP and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Stanley and DEWALT. In addition, Michael Annett wheels the No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.
