ATLANTA, GA –Today marks the first day of the 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a two-week virtual fundraising drive fueled by Georgia’s legal community. The 2020 competition is presented by the Office of the Attorney General and the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia to benefit the Georgia Food Bank Association’s regional food banks. The competition is timed each year to stock the food banks in preparation for the surge they experience during the summer when kids are out of school and eating more from their families’ pantry. This year, the Legal Food Frenzy is also focused on helping the food banks respond to the increasing number of Georgians seeking food assistance due to effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

“We know that around 16.2 percent of Georgians were food insecure before the Coronavirus pandemic, and now that number will grow exponentially,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “The competition will be more important this year than ever before. It will be up to us to raise money that will keep inventory strong and support the long-term needs of our food banks.”

From April 20 - May 1, more than 150 law firms and legal organizations—representing more than 11,000 members of the legal community—will go head-to-head, seeing who can raise the most money through online fundraising for their regional food bank. This year, due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders, the Legal Food Frenzy will be completely virtual, with teams raising money online instead of hosting food drives and events in the office while many work from home.

“On behalf of Georgia’s Food Banks, I want to thank the Office of the Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and the legal community for coming together in solidarity to help Georgia’s food banks meet the needs of our communities during this time of great uncertainty,” said Danah Craft, Executive Director of the Georgia Food Bank Association. “This amazing effort and support from Georgia’s legal community comes at a time when the food banks are experiencing the greatest surge in need that is unlike anything our network has ever seen.”

Last year’s competition raised a record $419,321 and 17,617 pounds of food for Georgia’s food banks. With each dollar donated, the food banks can distribute on average eight dollars’ worth of groceries into the community, because they can leverage bulk purchasing, donor relationships and volunteers. For every dollar raised, teams will earn four points towards their competition total. Last year, Joe S. Habachy, P.C. won the Attorney General’s Cup with the most points per employee and Coleman Talley LLP won the Bar President’s Award for most points overall. 

“Georgia’s lawyers have raised more than $2.3 million, the equivalent of more than 9.6 million meals in the eight years since the start of the Legal Food Frenzy," said State Bar President Darrell Sutton. "I hope every Georgia lawyer joins me in taking Attorney General Chris Carr’s challenge of donating the equivalent of one billable hour to the Legal Food Frenzy this year. While food donations aren’t a part of this year’s competition, a huge impact can still be made through online fundraising. Let’s work together to build a healthier, stronger Georgia.”

Registration is now open and will remain open throughout the 9th Annual Georgia Legal Food Frenzy, a statewide virtual fundraising competition among Georgia’s lawyers to help end hunger across the state. The 2020 competition will take place April 20 – May 1, and is managed in partnership with the Office of the Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Food Bank Association. Those who want to participate can register and learn more at www.galegalfoodfrenzy.org. Though the Legal Food Frenzy is traditionally timed to stock the food banks for the summer when need increases, this year, the competition will be even more critically important to sustain the unprecedented increase in demand for Georgia’s food bank services.

Everything each team raises will directly benefit the regional food bank that serves their community. The full list of competitors is listed here. You can find more information on the awards here. It is not too late to sign up. Additional details and registration instructions can be found at www.galegalfoodfrenzy.org.