The Cracker Barrel Foundation is sponsoring an Operation Purple®
Family Retreat in Nashville, Tenn., as part of an ongoing partnership
with the National Military Family Association (NMFA) to provide
reintegration support to military families.
Sandra Cochran, CEO of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., for Operation Purple (Photo: Business Wire)
The retreat provides military servicemen and women returning from active
duty with the opportunity to reconnect as a family. The retreat is being
held this weekend at the Joe C. Davis Outdoor Center in Nashville.
Earlier this year, the Cracker Barrel Foundation kicked off its
partnership with NMFA by sponsoring an Operation Purple Family Retreat
in Asheville, NC. The Operation Purple Family Retreat program is funded
through a $100,000 donation from the Cracker Barrel Foundation.
“Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and the Cracker Barrel
Foundation have a rich tradition of supporting organizations that lift
up our servicemen, servicewomen and veterans,” said Cracker Barrel Old
Country Store, Inc. President and CEO Sandra B. Cochran, a former
captain in the U.S. Army. “Our partnership with National Military Family
Association means a great deal to us and we are proud to host
another retreat that creates fun, healthy environments for families to
reconnect after military separation.”
Operation Purple Family Retreat uses a popular ‘camp’ approach in
outdoor locations to provide fun family oriented activities, new memory
making, and the ability to spend quality time together.
“For 45 years Cracker Barrel has been connecting families around the
dinner table in our 633 stores across 42 states,” added Cochran, whose
father was a career U.S. Army officer. “These retreats embody Cracker
Barrel and the NMFA’s shared goal of strengthening the bonds of
military families.”
“Since 2009, Operation Purple Family Retreats have served more than 350
families and 1,500 family members,” said Joyce Wessel Raezer, Executive
Director of the National Military Family Association. “With the
commitment of the Cracker Barrel those numbers – and the success stories
they represent – will continue to grow.”
Support of the military by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. and
its Foundation has included: Wounded Warrior Project Solider Ride;
Construction of the Boundless Playground at Fort Campbell; the WWII
Memorial in Washington, D.C; the doughboy statue commemorating WWI;
homeless shelters and food pantries serving the veteran population;
Canine Companions for Independence; and the Civil Air Patrol of Florida.
About Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. provides a friendly
home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants. Guests
are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style
food and shopping that’s surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and
reminiscent of America’s country heritage…all at a fair price. The
restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf
and homemade chicken n’ dumplins as well as its made from scratch
biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail
store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. (Nasdaq:CBRL) was established in
1969 in Lebanon, Tenn., and operates 633 company-owned locations in 42
states. Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours
Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6
a.m. - 11 p.m. For more information, visit crackerbarrel.com.
About Cracker Barrel Foundation
The Cracker Barrel Foundation seeks to strengthen and preserve our
community by supporting programs in the areas of education, human
services, cultural affairs, and the environment. Special consideration
is given to programs which address children, youth and family issues,
and emphasize traditional values such as hard work, education, and
self-reliance. Since 1996, the Cracker Barrel Foundation has awarded
over 700 scholarships and provided over 1300 grants to charitable
organizations in communities across the country. To learn more, visit www.crackerbarrel.com/foundation.
About the National Military Family Association
Military families serve our country with pride, honor, and quiet
dedication. The National Military Family Association is the leading
nonprofit organization committed to strengthening and protecting the
families of the men and women currently serving, retired, wounded or
fallen. We provide families of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force,
Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA with
information, work to get them the benefits they deserve, and offer
programs that improve their lives. Our 44 years of service and
accomplishments have made us a trusted resource for military families
and the Nation's leaders. To learn more, visit www.MilitaryFamily.org.
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