Attorney General Chris Carr, Feeding Georgia, and the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia this week kicked off the 12th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a two-week fundraising competition to benefit the state’s seven regional food banks.
This year’s drive will take place from April 17 – 28, 2023, and is open to everyone in the legal community, including law firms, legal organizations, corporate or in-house counsel, clerks and judges. Every dollar raised directly benefits the regional food bank in each competitor’s respective community, and every $1 donated helps to provide $8 in groceries to our neighbors in need.
“The Georgia Legal Food Frenzy is an incredible cause, and every year we are proud to see increased engagement and passion from our legal community,” said Attorney General Carr. “We know that time is a lawyer’s most valuable asset, and what better way to dedicate our time than to fighting hunger and ensuring our kids are well fed all year-round. That is why I am once again challenging our fellow attorneys to donate the equivalent of one billable hour during the competition, so we can make this another record-breaking year in support of children and families across our state.”
Nearly one in eight children in Georgia is food insecure, and 60 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school. Over the summer, their families often struggle to put enough food on the table without the daily guarantee of school meals. For this reason, the annual Legal Food Frenzy has historically been timed to stock the food banks in anticipation of this summer surge.
“We are so grateful to Attorney General Carr and the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia for their leadership and passion for the Legal Food Frenzy! Georgia’s 8 regional food banks provide emergency food assistance through a network of more than 2,400 partner pantries serving hungry neighbors in every county in the state,” said Executive Director of Feeding Georgia Danah Craft. “Law firms and legal organizations are competing statewide, but their donations stay local to support their regional food bank.”
Last year, Georgia’s attorneys raised more than $880,000 for the state’s regional food banks – the equivalent of over 3.5 million meals. For every dollar raised, teams will earn four points towards their competition score. In 2022, Habachy Law of Atlanta won the Attorney General’s Cup for the eighth consecutive year, earning 82,615 points – the most per person. Greenberg Traurig of Atlanta took home the Bar President’s Award for the third year in a row, earning 272,988 points – the most overall.
“The Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia is honored to support the Legal Food Frenzy in its twelfth year,” said YLD President Ron Daniels. “Our YLD Legal Food Frenzy Co-chairs, Caroline Scalf and Amanda Szokoly, have focused on increasing our state-wide outreach efforts this year. I hope every Georgia lawyer will join us in this incredible opportunity to combat food insecurity in our local communities.”
More than $3.2 million has been raised since the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy first began. That is the equivalent of over 13 million meals for Georgia’s children, families, and older adults.
Registration for 12th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy is available now and will remain open until April 28, the final day of the competition. Those who wish to participate can do so by visiting www.galegalfoodfrenzy.org. A current list of all competing firms is available here.
