Hawks and State Farm Announce Plans for Their Fifth Million Meal Pack

Today, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm have announced their plans for this year’s Million Meal Pack initiative, set to take place on Saturday, September 27th at the award-winning State Farm Arena. The event marks the fifth Million Meal Pack from the two organizations. As the team’s largest annual service initiative of the year, the Million Meal Pack is seeking more than 5,000 volunteers to help assemble one million meals throughout the day. These meals will directly benefit communities across the Atlanta metro area, with distribution supported by U.S. Hunger, a leading hunger relief organization known for its innovative programs designed to help feed people struggling with food insecurity. According to the Atlanta Community Food Bank, one in seven Georgians are food insecure, including one in five children.

Starting today, the public can officially register to volunteer by visiting Hawks.com/mealpack. Once volunteers complete their scheduled shift, they will be invited to a special, volunteer-only celebration held on State Farm Drive. This exclusive gathering will feature lively music, interactive games, and complimentary refreshments as a thank-you for their time and commitment.

“Partnering with State Farm on this meaningful initiative reflects our deep-rooted commitment to uplifting the communities we serve and combatting food insecurity,” said Steve Koonin, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. “We’re thrilled to invite all of Atlanta to take part in our signature community event, and we’re continually inspired by the thousands of volunteers who come together with us to pack one million meals and make a real difference in the fight against food insecurity.”

As part of this special one-day community effort, the Hawks and State Farm are asking local organizations – ranging from schools and churches to sororities, fraternities, businesses, and community groups – as well as individuals aged five and older, to sign up for one or more volunteer shifts on Saturday, Sept. 27. Participants will work alongside prominent figures from sports, entertainment, government, and the business world, contributing to a lively and meaningful event.

Over the years, volunteers – including Hawks legends like Dominique Wilkins and current players such as Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson – have come together to pack meals for the community. Notable VIPs have also lent their support, such as Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, Mariah the Scientist, Buddy Redd, Young Dro, Campbell “Pookie” and Jett Puckett, along with many others. The day promises a festive atmosphere with music, live performances, delicious food, giveaways, and activities designed to engage and entertain families of all ages.

“State Farm is excited to announce our fifth Million Meal Pack in partnership with the Atlanta Hawks,” said Allyson Watts, State Farm Senior Vice President. “The Million Meal pack promotes a sense of community and helps support the efforts of our nonprofit partners who are dedicated to feeding metro Atlanta every day. State Farm is proud to bring together local State Farm agents, employees, and community volunteers for this important initiative as we strive to build safer, stronger, and better educated communities.”

To meet the meal-packing goal, the food assembly will require six 90-minute shifts, each involving approximately 1,000 volunteers. Together, these dedicated teams will assemble thousands of meals over the course of the day. The packaged meals will consist of a nutritious, shelf-stable dried Jambalaya mix – carefully formulated to provide six hearty servings per package once prepared.

“We’re incredibly grateful to the Hawks and State Farm for continuing to show up for families in Atlanta,” said Rick Whitted, Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Hunger. “This event is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together, not just to pack meals, but to stand with one another in service and support.”

The Hawks and State Farm have previously hosted four Million Meal Pack events, in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2019. In those four years, the two organizations have rallied more than 21,000 volunteers packing more than 4.1 million meals.

“We’re proud to join forces with State Farm once again in our ongoing mission to address food insecurity,” said Alexis Roe, Vice President of Community Impact for the Hawks. “By working together, we all have the power to make a meaningful assist and positively impact the lives of countless individuals and families in our community. We look forward to seeing Atlanta unite at State Farm Arena on September 27th for this important cause.”

The Hawks and State Farm have led efforts in multiple community-focused initiatives to better serve Metro Atlanta.

Most recently, the two organizations partnered to open the 12th Good Neighbor Club at the Pittman Park Recreation Center in the historic Pittsburgh neighborhood. In addition, they have hosted a variety of STEM-focused events to serve the Metro Atlanta community, including the engaging ‘Secrets of Science’ series – a hands-on initiative that introduced local students to interactive experiments and educational activities. They also teamed up to host ‘Live and Loud’, an innovative program where students learned about music production and live animals. Together, the Hawks and State Farm continue to create impactful, community-centered programming that inspires the next generation and strengthens neighborhoods across Atlanta.

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