ATLANTA — Over 1 million meals were packed on Saturday during the 2023 Million Meal Pack event at the State Farm Arena, according to the Atlanta Hawks.
The event was held by the NBA team in collaboration with State Farm and a host of volunteers, with many notable community members like Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins and Hawks Forward Jalen Johnson.
"Recognizing the substantial effort required to combat food insecurity across Atlanta, we are hopeful that this single-day community service initiative will serve as an inspiration across metro Atlanta of what we can achieve together," said Steve Koonin, CEO of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena.
According to statistics from the Atlanta Community Food Bank, one in nine Georgians, including one in eight children, grapple with food insecurity.
People from all walks of life - individuals, families, community groups, schools, churches and businesses - came together on the arena floor, side by side with U.S. Hunger representatives and Hawks and State Farm executives. Together, they proudly reported packing a grand total of 1,020,672 meals.
The six 90-minute shifts of the event yielded:
- 1,501 bags of food
- 131,128 pounds of food
- 3,544 boxes of food
- 288 meals per box
- 48 bags per box
"We appreciate everyone who participated and thank the Atlanta Hawks for our ongoing partnership in giving back and strengthening our communities," Dan Krause, Senior Vice President at State Farm, said.
The packed meals will soon find their way to families across the metro Atlanta area, thanks to the support of U.S. Hunger and 12 other local organizations, including the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Community Assistance Center and Meals On Wheels Atlanta.
This event also marked the second zero-waste Million Meal Pack at the State Farm Arena, diverting more than 97% of materials generated from landfills. Learn more about the Hawks' community initiatives here.
