Carolina Ascent FC Welcomes Food Lion as Club’s Official Grocer Partner
July 24 2024 - 2:30PM
Carolina Ascent Football Club announced today its strategic
partnership with Food Lion as the club’s Official Grocer Partner.
The two organizations unveiled details of their collaboration July
24 at the Food Lion located at 2226 Park Road in Charlotte, N.C.
Food Lion, an omnichannel grocery retailer, operates more than
1,100 stores in 10 states across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
regions.
As the Official Grocer Partner of Carolina Ascent, Food Lion
will introduce multiple programs through its hunger relief
platform, Food Lion Feeds. Carolina Ascent and Food Lion are
dedicated to fighting food insecurity across the Carolinas and
providing nutrition education for young athletes, setting them up
for success in life. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food
Lion to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it
serves.
In addition, Food Lion’s partnership with Carolina Ascent is its
first collaboration with a women’s professional sports organization
and the region’s newest top-tier women’s professional soccer team.
Carolina Ascent is one of the eight inaugural franchises of the
United Soccer League’s Super League, the newest Division One
women’s professional soccer league in the United States. The
collaboration will promote the accessibility of healthier food and
physical activity.
“We are thrilled to have such an amazing partnership with Food
Lion. Food Lion is a community service stalwart with a rich history
of fighting hunger related issues in our region,” stated Tim
Schuldt, Chief Operating Officer, Carolina Ascent Football Club.
“We look forward to driving more awareness to this challenge that
many of our Carolina neighbors face, and more importantly, we look
forward to rolling up our sleeves and working with Food Lion to
make a difference.”
Through Food Lion Feeds, Carolina Ascent players, coaches and
staff will serve families experiencing food insecurity through two
unique programs. Each season, Carolina Ascent players will
accompany two families on shopping sprees at local Food Lion stores
to create memorable moments and provide parents and children with
the nutritional meals they need to live healthy lives. Families
will be identified by Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Also,
in partnership with the food bank, the club will volunteer two
times per season at the annual Backpack for Hunger event to support
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. The Backpack Program
provides more than 200,000 backpacks filled with nutritious food to
nourish children across the 24 counties Second Harvest serves.
These initiatives represent the power of partnerships working
together to increase access to nutritious food and nourish
thousands of children and their families experiencing hunger.
To support nutrition education, Food Lion and Carolina Ascent
will launch a video series that will be distributed through various
communication channels, including social media, Carolina Ascent’s
website and in-stadium video boards. The club will work with Food
Lion to identify and deliver meaningful, educational content
focused on nutrition tips for youth-aged athletes, including Food
Lion’s proprietary Guiding Stars® program. Introduced in 2006,
Guiding Stars is easy to understand and includes ratings on more
than 6,000 products and shelf labels at all Food Lion stores. The
three-star rating system is simple: one star for good, two stars
for better and three stars for the best nutritional value.
“At Food Lion, our neighbors count on us to nourish their
families, and we are committed to doing everything we can to
address food insecurity in our community,” said Meg Ham, President,
Food Lion. “Through partnerships like this one with Carolina
Ascent, we are working to address some of the root causes of food
insecurity. We believe no one should have to choose between dinner
and rent or gas and groceries. In a time when families and their
children experience hunger, we look forward to this partnership to
increase access to nutritious food and nutritional education.”
As a result of the partnership, the Food Lion logo is featured
on the sleeve of the Carolina Ascent home jersey. Food Lion will
also sponsor all goals made throughout the inaugural season and
provide meals to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
through its hunger relief platform. Through the initiative, known
as Score To Give More, Food Lion Feeds will help provide 1,000
meals for every goal the team makes in home and away games.
Carolina Ascent kicks off its inaugural season Saturday, Aug.
17, at 7 p.m. The new women’s professional soccer team hosts DC
Power FC at American Legion Memorial Stadium. Season tickets are on
sale now at carolinaascent.com/tickets.
About Carolina Ascent FCCarolina Ascent FC is
one of the eight initial markets of the USL Super League, a new
Division One professional women’s soccer league set to kick off in
August 2024. Carolina Ascent is reaching new heights for women’s
soccer. Step by step the club will take strides to grow the women’s
game, elevate the community and support a more sustainable future
for the residents of the Carolinas. The team will play all home
games at the historic American Legion Memorial Stadium. For
information on club news, season tickets and more, visit
carolinaascent.com.
About Food LionFood Lion is an omnichannel
grocery retailer committed to nourishing its neighbors. More than
82,000 associates across 1,100+ stores deliver an easy, fresh and
affordable shopping experience throughout 10 Southeastern and
Mid-Atlantic states. With a focus on hunger relief, Food Lion is a
pioneer in food rescue. In 2014, Food Lion Feeds was created and
has since donated more than 1.2 billion meals to those who are food
insecure. The retailer has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by
2025. Founded and based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, Food Lion
is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of
Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information,
visit foodlion.com.
CONTACT: |
Carolina Ascent FC Media
Relations252-675-2291marcom@carolinaascentfc.comFood Lion Media
Relations704-245-3317publicrelationsteam@foodlion.com |
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