RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes, in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and US Foods, distributed Thanksgiving meal kits to more than 2,000 families in need across the Triangle on Tuesday, November 25. The event brought together local nonprofit organizations and community partners to ensure families could enjoy a full and festive Thanksgiving meal.
Meal kits were distributed through Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, Helping Hand Mission, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Raleigh Rescue Mission, Urban Ministries of Wake County, The Raleigh Dream Center and Table NC. Each kit included a turkey breast or ham, four large potatoes, fresh apples and oranges, and one pie — providing families with everything needed for a hearty holiday meal.
This year marked the fifteenth year of the Hurricanes’ Thanksgiving partnership with local hunger relief organizations. Over the years, these partnerships have led to thousands of meal donations to local nonprofits, supporting families across the Triangle during the holiday season.
“We are thankful for our partnering organizations and glad we can work together to help make the holiday a little brighter for families across our community who may be facing a tough time,” said Hurricanes Holdings CEO Brian Fork.
Generous support for this year’s meal kits was provided by the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), which helped round out the meal packages, and US Foods, which supplied the bulk food and in-kind support that made the large-scale distribution possible.
“At US Foods, we’re committed to nourishing our communities,” said Travis Bailey, Area President of US Foods, Raleigh. “We’re proud to stand alongside the Hurricanes and Blue Cross NC in helping provide thousands of families with the ingredients for a meaningful Thanksgiving meal.”
In addition to the meal distribution, the Hurricanes held a food drive earlier in November, collecting thousands of non-perishable food items from fans. Donations were distributed to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, and Urban Ministries of Wake County, further supporting local hunger relief efforts. A special food drive was also held on November 9 in conjunction with Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin and his family, benefitting The Raleigh Dream Center with food to create 8,400 meals.
Additional funding for the Thanksgiving initiative came from the Hurricanes’ Tickets for Turkeys campaign, which raised money through the purchase of tickets to the team’s holiday home games.
