November 15, 2021 – The Charlotte Hornets and Food Lion Feeds announced today that the two organizations will once again provide Thanksgiving meals to 1,000 families in need at the Hornets’ 11th annual Cornucopia event on Tuesday, November 16, at Spectrum Center. Beginning at 1:30 p.m., Hornets executives and staff, Food Lion executives and associates, Coca-Cola Consolidated executives and staff, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina volunteers will help distribute food to families who have a voucher for the meal. Distribution will take place outside Spectrum Center on 5th Street. Hornets players and coaches, as well as select executives, will be inside the arena packing boxes
The Official Hunger Relief Partner of the Charlotte Hornets, Food Lion Feeds is donating all the ingredients for a warm Thanksgiving meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cut yams, sweet peas, whole kernel corn, macaroni and cheese and cranberry sauce. Hornets partner Coca-Cola Consolidated is providing a two-liter bottle of Dr Pepper or Diet Dr Pepper for every meal. Each meal contains enough food to feed a family of four, resulting in approximately 4,000 people being served.
“We are pleased to return to Spectrum Center for our 11th annual Cornucopia event in partnership with Food Lion and Coca-Cola Consolidated,” said Hornets President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield. “So many Charlotte-area families face uncertainty with regards to access to food. Our hope that we can help take some of that uncertainty away this holiday season, so that families can focus on what matters most – spending quality time with their loved ones.”
“No one should have to choose between dinner and rent, or gas and groceries,” said Food Lion President Meg Ham. “We’re proud to once again join with our longstanding partners, the Charlotte Hornets and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, to eliminate those difficult choices for many local families this season. Nourishing neighbors and setting them up for success is core to everything we do, and that’s why we’re so passionate about fighting hunger in the towns and cities we serve.”
In 2020-2021, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 82 million pounds of food to over 800 partner agencies, which include food pantries, soup kitchens and meal programs. “Without the support of community partners like Food Lion and the Charlotte Hornets, our mission to end hunger would be virtually impossible,” said Kay Carter, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. “We can’t thank them enough for their continued support in helping us feed our neighbors in need in our 24-county service region.”