CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets partnered with Food Lion on Tuesday to provide Thanksgiving meals to 1,000 families in the area.
During the event, executives and staff from multiple organizations volunteered to help distribute food to families who had a meal voucher. Those organizations include the Hornets, Food Lion, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.
Food Lion Feeds provided all the ingredients for the meals, such as turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cut yams, sweet peas, whole kernel corn, macaroni and cheese and cranberry sauce. Coca-Cola Consolidated provided families with their choice of drink.
The meals contained enough food to feed a family of four.
Organizers said cars lined up well past College Street in uptown Charlotte to pick up their meals.
“We’ve had a good turnout so far, which just tells you that people are really in need,” Kay Carter, with Second Harvest Food Bank, said.
Margie Martin participated in the event and told Channel 9 she was one of those in need.
“Short of food you know, expenses are high. Lack of work, so this is a great blessing for a lot of people,” Martin said.
For Angela Joyner, the event took on a different meaning after losing her mother and her son this year.
“Emotionally, this has been a tough year for us,” she said. “This event, the giving just fills my heart with joy.”
Hornet’s President and Chief Operating Officer Fred Whitfield expressed his gratitude to be able to provide food for families in need.
“These are fans of ours out in the community, cheering for us every night,” Whitfield said. “Many of them don’t get a chance to see us play live. We don’t want them to think they aren’t heavy on our minds and hearts.”
(WATCH: 2020: Thousands of families will enjoy Thanksgiving thanks to Charlotte Hornets)
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