Hornets and Food Lion Feeds Partner to Feed 1,000 Second Harvest Food Bank Families at Annual Cornucopia Event on Nov. 25

Food Lion Feeds to Donate Entire Thanksgiving Meal; Coca-Cola to Provide Beverages

The Charlotte Hornets and Food Lion Feeds today announced the two organizations will provide Thanksgiving meals to 1,000 families in need at the Hornets’ fourth annual Cornucopia event on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The entire Hornets team and coaching staff will partner with Food Lion leadership and associates, as well as Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, to distribute the food at Time Warner Cable Arena, starting at 11 a.m.

Food Lion Feeds is donating thousands of pounds of food to make this holiday season special for families, including all the ingredients for a warm holiday meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, a variety of canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese and cranberry sauce. Hornets partner Coca-Cola is providing a two-liter bottle of Sprite for every meal. Each meal contains enough food to feed a family of four.

“As an organization, we are privileged to have the opportunity to affect so many people’s lives in such an impactful way,” Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield said. “We are thrilled to have the continued support of two tremendous partners in Food Lion and Coca-Cola as we embark on our fourth annual Cornucopia event. Thanksgiving is an important time for family unity and our organization feels that it is our responsibility to ensure that this joyous time isn’t missed by those in our community who may need a helping hand.”

As the Official Hunger Relief Partner of the Charlotte Hornets, Food Lion Feeds has committed to providing more than 300,000 meals over three years in the Charlotte community, which includes the annual Cornucopia event. The Hornets and Food Lion Feeds will also partner to donate 500 turkeys to WFNZ’s (610 AM) annual Street Turkeys initiative on Wednesday, Nov. 26, which benefits local feeding agencies.

"At Food Lion, Thanksgiving is a special time when we get to help millions of families enjoy a holiday meal together," said Food Lion President Meg Ham. "We know, unfortunately, some families in our home market of Charlotte have to make tough choices during the holiday season. We believe no one should have to choose between Thanksgiving dinner and paying rent, or any other necessity. That's why we are so passionate about partnering with the Charlotte Hornets to help feed those in need this holiday."

Food Lion Feeds and the Charlotte Hornets announced their partnership in September 2014, and since that time, the two organizations have provided more than 35,000 meals to Charlotte families.

About Food Lion

Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 63,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has committed to provide 500 million meals to individuals and families in need by the end of 2020. Food Lion is a company of Delhaize America, the U.S. division of Brussels-based Delhaize Group. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.

About Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated (CCBCC) is the nation's largest independent Coca-Cola bottler. Headquartered in Charlotte, the company's nearly 7,000 employees make, sell and deliver Coca-Cola products in franchise sales territories across the Southeast. For more information, visit www.CokeConsolidated.com

Hornets Sports & Entertainment owns the Charlotte Hornets and operates Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena.