We teamed up with the Charlotte Hornets to serve Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools teachers and students in advance of the upcoming school year.  Volunteers from both organizations, including our Chairman & CEO Frank Harrison and nearly 100 of our Company’s leaders joined Hornets leaders, including President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield and Hornets forward Gordon Hayward. packed over 2,000 backpacks and totes with school and classroom supplies on August 16 at Spectrum Center. The 2,000 student backpacks and 275 teacher totes were then distributed at four Charlotte-Mecklenburg Title I Schools – Devonshire, Hidden Valley, Oakdale and Sterling Elementary Schools.

“We are proud to join our partners at Coca-Cola Consolidated to help foster equity in education within our community,” said Whitfield. “Far too many students in our area don’t have access to the basic school supplies they need to learn. Similarly, so many of our teachers end up spending their own money to help their students. Our hope is that these backpacks and totes remove some of this burden from parents, students and teachers alike, and that they all have the basic tools they need to have a successful school year.”

This joint service project is part of the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council’s (CLEC) partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools to address key challenges impacting students. Frank Harrison along with Hornets Fred Whitfield represent their respective organizations on the CELC and both organizations have longstanding commitments to supporting Charlotte’s schools, students, and educators.

We extended our partnership earlier this year with the Hornets and Consolidated remains the team’s official and exclusive partner for soft drinks, water, bottled teas and juices, and has pouring rights for Spectrum Center concession stands.

“Our Purpose at Coke Consolidated shapes our culture and drives how we do business across our territory. Serving others is a key pillar of that Purpose,” said Frank Harrison, Chairman and CEO of Coca-Cola Consolidated. “We are grateful to call Charlotte home, and we share a strong commitment to promoting equity for all students. We are honored to partner with the Charlotte Hornets to provide students and teachers with much needed school and classroom supplies for the upcoming school year.”