Fifth Group Restaurants, the group behind South City Kitchen, La Tavola Trattoria, Ecco, The Original El Taco, Alma Cocina, Lure and Bold Catering & Design, is thrilled to have supported the Atlanta Community Food Bank at the 35th Annual Hunger Walk Run held on April 28. In preparation for the Walk Run, Fifth Group surpassed its 2019 fundraising goal, raising a total of $100,830 in support of the Food Bank’s initiatives to end hunger in 29 metro Atlanta and north Georgia counties.
“We culminated the celebration of our company’s 25th anniversary year in April, and I cannot imagine a better way to put a cap on Fifth Group’s first quarter century in Atlanta than exceeding a landmark fundraising goal for the Hunger Walk Run,” said Robby Kukler, Fifth Group Restaurants partner and Vice-Chair of the Food Bank’s Board of Directors. “We are honored to have such a long-standing partnership with the Food Bank and to have achieved the great feat of raising more than $100,000 to help further their mission of ending hunger in our community.”
For the past 11 years, fundraising efforts have been spearheaded by Fifth Group’s individual restaurants as well as Bold Catering & Design, encompassing guest, client and employee donations. Leading up to the Hunger Walk Run, restaurant guests were encouraged to donate to the cause following their meals, or to contribute via the Hunger Walk Run website. Fifth Group employees also stepped up in a big way by contributing over $20,000 via personal donations, and over 80 percent of managers in the company contributed during this year’s campaign.
Fifth Group began its corporate support of the Hunger Walk Run in 2008 and, in conjunction with the Food Bank, spearheaded the event’s Restaurant Program, encouraging Atlanta’s hospitality community to join the fundraising and awareness efforts. Since beginning its relationship with the Hunger Walk Run, the restaurant group has now raised more than $600,000 for the cause, resulting directly in nearly 2.4 million donated meals. The money raised by the hospitality group in 2019 alone will provide approximately 403,000 meals for families in Georgia. Fifth Group continues to be named the event’s largest corporate donor, leading an impressive group of corporate participants which include some of the city’s most notable companies.
The Hunger Walk Run is the Food Bank’s largest fundraiser, aiming to build funds and awareness of the local food crisis and raise critical dollars for hunger relief through a sponsored 5K event each spring. Since the event’s start in 1984, it has provided more than 43 million meals for people in need of food assistance. Choosing to walk or run, thousands of participants come together each year to support neighbors in need and celebrate achievements already made in the fight against hunger.
To learn more about Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Hunger Walk Run and get involved in next year’s race, please visit www.engage.acfb.org.
