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Food Lion partners with Charlotte Hornets for hunger relief

The Charlotte Hornets have teamed up with Food Lion on a multi-year, multi-faceted partnership that establishes Food Lion Feeds as the official hunger-relief partner of the Charlotte Hornets. The two organizations tipped off the partnership at Highland Renaissance Academy in Charlotte, NC, by distributing more than 9,500 meals to 300 school families with the help of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina's mobile food pantry. 

Hornets players Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Cody Zeller lent a helping hand by participating in the meal distribution. The partnership and food donations are part of Food Lion's commitment to provide 500 million meals by the end of 2020.

"We are extremely happy to welcome Food Lion Feeds as the official hunger-relief partner of the Charlotte Hornets," Fred Whitfield, Hornets Sports & Entertainment president and chief operating officer, said in a press release. "Food Lion Feeds and the Charlotte Hornets share a desire to assist in our community and are committed to help end hunger in the Carolinas. Hunger is a growing concern and with this partnership, both organizations can continue to join forces to provide the necessary resources to those in need."

As the official hunger-relief partner of the Charlotte Hornets, Food Lion Feeds has committed to provide more than 300,000 meals over three years, including continued support of the Charlotte Hornets Foundation's annual Cornucopia event, which provides 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to low-income families. In addition, the Hornets and Food Lion Feeds will donate 200 turkeys to WFNZ's (610 AM) annual Street Turkeys initiative.

"We are honored to serve as the official hunger-relief partner of the Charlotte Hornets," Beth Newlands Campbell, president of Food Lion, said in the press release.  "When I was a store manager, I saw firsthand the tough choices customers are sometimes forced to make to feed their families. In difficult times, many people have to decide whether to pay rent, buy groceries or purchase gasoline to get to work, because they simply cannot do all three. At Food Lion, we believe no one should have to choose between dinner and paying rent or gasoline and buying groceries. We're committed to working to end hunger and making the lines shorter at Charlotte feeding agencies through Food Lion Feeds."

The two organizations will continue to identify hunger-relief efforts throughout the Charlotte community as part of each organization's philanthropic support over the next three years.

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