On Thursday, October 10th, the Detroit Lions, in partnership with Kroger, will host their “Huddle for 100” community day of service at Ford Field.
As part of NFL 100, the League is inviting fans, players, clubs and employees to volunteer 100 minutes of their time and make a meaningful contribution to their communities through Huddle for 100.
The Lions are centering their Huddle event around food insecurity and hunger. More than 500 volunteers from Kroger and hundreds of volunteers from Lions corporate and community partners as well as season ticket members, will come together to package over 50,000 boxes of food for families in need across Michigan. In all, over 1,000 people will volunteer and represent a combined 100 thousand-plus minutes of service.
“Our Detroit Lions ‘Huddle for 100’ will be a large-scale multiple day, act of volunteerism,” said Detroit Lions Senior Director of Community Relations Jen McCollum. “We couldn’t be prouder to partner with Kroger to do our part to address food insecurity and hunger in Michigan. Lions ownership, players, Legends, executives, staff and season ticket members are all committing their time to the effort. The boxes we are helping to assemble will ultimately reach those in need during the holiday season, which is a commitment of Lions community relations efforts year over year.”
Team executives, staff, players and Lions Legend Barry Sanders will be participating in this initiative. Detroit Lions cheerleaders and Roary will also be on site.
Fans can help feed Michigan families by purchasing a $5 box of food at any Kroger location December 4th through February 1st as part of Kroger’s From Hearts to Homes program.
Donated food will go directly to local food banks, including Food Gatherers, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Forgotten Harvest, Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, Greater Lansing Food Bank and The Food Bank of South-Central Michigan.
“Kroger so appreciates the Lions’ commitment to helping feed hungry Michigan families,” said Rachel Hurst, community affairs manager, The Kroger Co. of Michigan. “The time volunteered coupled with the fans and Kroger customers who purchase the From Hearts to Homes food boxes will help make the season brighter for many children and adults.”
The Kroger From Hearts to Homes program is part of Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste social impact plan to end hunger in the local communities the grocer serves and eliminate waste across the company by 2025.
Although “Huddle for 100” is a private event, the Lions encourage fans to dedicate 100 minutes of their own time to community service. Fans are invited to document and highlight their volunteerism through social media posts by using #LionsHuddleFor100.
ABOUT THE DETROIT LIONS
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL), and play their home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. The team located to Detroit in 1934 and is the National Football League's fifth-oldest franchise. The Detroit Lions most recently made the NFL playoffs in 2016, when they finished with a 9-7 record. In addition to professional football, the Detroit Lions have a visible and active community relations role in the Detroit area. With a focus on health and wellness, and community revitalization, the Lions have contributed $7.2 million through philanthropic efforts since 1991. For more information, please visit www.detroitlions.com.
About The Kroger Co. of Michigan
Incorporated in Michigan in 1917 and headquartered in Novi, The Kroger Co. of Michigan operates 120 Kroger stores, 78 fuel centers, 102 pharmacies and the Michigan Dairy. Michigan Kroger’s 18,000 associates are dedicated to the Kroger Purpose: to FEED the Human Spirit, by serving the region through food, inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025.
For more information about From Hearts to Homes or Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, contact Rachel Hurst, corporate affairs manager, The Kroger Co. of Michigan. 248-536-1523 or Rachel.Hurst@Kroger.com.