LaMelo Ball and The Fresh Market Team Up to Feed Local Community with AssistsToAssist(SM) Campaign

Fresh Meals for Families in Need Campaign Starts this Basketball Season

GREENSBORO, N.C. and CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Fresh Market, Inc. and NBA All-Star professional basketball player, LaMelo Ball are launching the AssistsToAssist^SM Campaign at the start of the 2022-23 regular basketball season. The campaign is a food donation program that provides fresh meals for families in need in the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area.  Putting his unique flare on the program, LaMelo Ball and the fresh food retailer will donate The Fresh Market's Little Big Meal (LBM) meal kits to families based on the number of basketball assists that LaMelo makes during a home game while playing for the Charlotte Hornets during the 2022-23 NBA regular basketball season.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9013453-fresh-market-lamelo-ball-assiststoassist-campaign/

How it works
To jump start the program, The Fresh Market will donate $25,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina (SHFBM) on behalf of the LaMelo Ball Foundation which will provide 145,000 meals* in the Charlotte region at the start of the season. Then for each LaMelo Ball assist he makes during the season, The Fresh Market will provide 10 of its signature Little Big Meals (LBM), "America's Most Loved Dinner", to SHFBM on behalf of the LaMelo Ball Foundation. The Fresh Market's LBM can feed up to four people.  Each meal kit contains a fresh protein, vegetables and other side dishes that can be cooked to provide a healthy meal for a family. With LaMelo's current average of 7.6 assists per game—that adds up to 70 meal kits which can feed 280 people in the community each home game. Multiplied by 41 home games means there's the opportunity for more than 11,400 people to benefit from AssistsToAssist.

LMB + LBM = Why it works
Along with changing the way the modern NBA basketball game is played, LaMelo Ball is also changing how the game is being played off the court with his extensive endorsement deals, fashion savvy, and international social media footprint. 

At the core of who he is, LaMelo is passionate about helping young people and championing healthy lifestyles.  He personally knows that his performance on the basketball court includes a healthier way of eating and wants to provide the same opportunities for others. By collaborating with North Carolina-based, The Fresh Market, on the AssistsToAssist campaign, the two brands have aligned their purposes to help people in the community facing food insecurity and provide fresh meals for families in need.

"I'm excited to help my team put points on the board and every time I do—more Charlotte families will have a fresh, delicious Little Big Meal through the AssistsToAssist program from The Fresh Market," said LaMelo Ball.

"We are thrilled and proud to work with LaMelo Ball to support his foundation's efforts to provide fresh healthy meals to families in need in the Charlotte community," shared Kevin Miller, Chief Marketing Officer of The Fresh Market. "He is a leader on and off the basketball court who really cares about the community and is very influential with young people with over 9 million Instagram followers. The Fresh Market is a leader in providing quality fresh food and meal solutions and is highly committed to the communities that we've served for over 40 years. It feels like a winning team!"

The campaign will launch the first home game of the regular season on October 21. Little Big Meals earned for each LaMelo assist will be freshly prepared and given to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, The Fresh Market's food bank partner through Feeding America.

About LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball was drafted third in the 2020 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.  Since then, LaMelo has seen great success.  He was the 2021 Rookie of the Year, won the 2021 Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY award, was a 2022 NBA All-Star, and interacts daily with his 10M social media followers.  LaMelo's fashion sense was featured in recent GQ and Vogue spreads, and his PUMA signature shoes continue to sell out.  He has a very keen interest in the local Charlotte community. The LaMelo Ball Foundation has hosted basketball camps and built basketball courts in underserved communities.  Additionally, LaMelo regularly appears on national and international TV including recent appearances in a Hulu commercial, two AT&T commercials, two Marvel movie campaigns (Black Widow and Shang-Chi), and in the NBA75 campaign as a new face of the league.

About The Fresh Market, Inc.
Voted as the "Best Supermarket in America" by USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards 2022 and 2021, "America's Best Customer Service 2021" by Newsweek and Statista and a top 5 most trusted grocery retail brand for specialty and natural/organic foods in the 2022 BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, The Fresh Market helps guests discover the best with time-saving meal solutions, unique ingredients, and delicious food for any occasion. From fresh produce and exceptional meat and seafood to signature baked goods and thousands of organic options, the specialty grocer has something to please every palate. The Fresh Market currently operates 160 stores in 22 states across the U.S., inspiring guests to discover new flavors and cook with confidence. For more information, please visit www.thefreshmarket.com or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.                                           

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
As part of Feeding America, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina - serves 24 counties in North and South Carolina. In FY 2020-2021, Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina distributed over 82 million pounds of food (including over 48 million pounds of fresh produce, meat, and dairy) and household items to over 950 hunger feeding agencies including emergency pantries, soup kitchens, senior programs, shelters and low-income daycare.

CONTACT:  Patrice Molnar
[email protected]

(*Note: Applying SHFBM's formula of $1 = 7lbs of food, this donation of $25,000 will be used to provide 145,000 meals in the Charlotte Region. A meal is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as 1.2 pounds of food.)

SOURCE The Fresh Market, Inc.