EPSN Analyst Kirk Herbstreit Joins Eckrich® to Score Half a Million Dollars for Charity With Throw at College Football Playoff National Championship

Herbstreit Completes Throw Attempt to Earn $500K for CFP Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers Cause


ATLANTA, Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eckrich®, the maker of naturally hardwood smoked sausage and savory deli meats, and ESPN “College GameDay” analyst Kirk Herbstreit took center stage at the College Football Playoff National Championship Monday afternoon to generate a $500,000 donation to the College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers cause, the largest donation of its kind from an outside benefactor. Herbstreit completed a nearly impossible 20-yard throw while hundreds of onlookers cheered him on and millions watched during ESPN’s “College Football Live.”

Herbstreit, the former college quarterback and longtime Eckrich partner, had only one chance to complete the throw through a target to win a $1 million donation for College Football Playoff Foundation’s Extra Yard for Teachers cause. After two unsuccessful throws, the third time was a charm as Herbstreit’s perfect spiral went through the target. Despite the first missed throws, Eckrich surprised the CFP Foundation with a generous donation of $500,000.

“It was awesome that Eckrich gave me another shot at the throw, and to make it and win $500,000 for Extra Yard for Teachers made it that much better,” said Herbstreit. “It feels great to be able to give back to the teachers who do so much in all of our communities.”

This donation will help further elevate and support the teaching profession by providing resources, recognition, and fostering of the next generation of educational professionals. Teachers of the Year from across the country were on the sideline to cheer Herbstreit on and were thrilled to see Eckrich honor his third attempt and make the considerable half-million dollar donation.

“We are so grateful to Kirk and the great people at Eckrich for supporting teachers across America,” said CFP Foundation Executive Director Britton Banowsky. “These resources will no doubt make a huge difference in the lives of so many teachers and provide amazing educational opportunities to thousands of students and we are happy Kirk was a quarterback in college.

“We are so excited that Kirk made this throw. We all know how important teachers are to building strong communities and developing our country’s youth, and Eckrich is thrilled to support the Extra Yard for Teachers and their wonderful cause,” said John Pauley, Smithfield Foods packaged meats division executive vice president.

Eckrich is completing its second year as the official smoked sausage and deli meat sponsor of the College Football Playoff. As part of the partnership, the brand launched the second year of its Road to the National Championship sweepstakes in the summer of 2017. Twenty-one lucky fans won the opportunity to throw at some of the biggest college football games of the year, including during the pre-game festivities prior to the National Championship Game, for the chance to win $1 million.

For more information and game-day recipe inspiration, visit www.EckrichFootball.com.

Eckrich is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

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, 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.

About the College Football Playoff Foundation and Extra Yard for Teachers
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation is the charitable arm of the College Football Playoff, supporting education across the country. The CFP Foundation’s primary platform, Extra Yard for Teachers, elevates the teaching profession by inspiring and empowering teachers through the implementation of programs in four focus areas: resources, recognition, recruitment and professional development. The CFP Foundation utilizes multiple partnerships to execute its initiatives and support positive educational outcomes. To learn more, visit www.cfp-foundation.org and follow Extra Yard for Teachers (@CFPExtraYard) on social media.

Media Contact:

Hunter PR for Eckrich
Melody Palatucci
(212) 679-6600
mpalatucci@hunterpr.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/23912c13-05f8-47a4-a288-353d168e2cd2 

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