COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Office of the Attorney General
Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 Contact:  Leslie Van Horn, Federation of Virginia Food Banks
Leslie@vafoodbanks.org
757.314.4572  Office
757.580.8771  Cell
 
Contact:  Brian Gottstein, Director of Communication
bgottstein@oag.state.va.us  (best contact method)
804-786-5874
 

Virginia legal community ‘throws the book’ at hunger by raising more than 1.6 million pounds of food through Legal Food Frenzy campaign

- Winning law firm raised 7,500 pounds per person -

RICHMOND (May 9, 2011) – Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli announced today that Virginia’s legal community joined together to raise more than 1.6 million pounds of food for Virginia’s hungry during two weeks in April.  The “Legal Food Frenzy” – a statewide competition and collaboration between the attorney general’s office, the Virginia Bar Association, and the Federation of Virginia Food Banks – pitted 177 Virginia law firms and legal departments against each other to see which could raise the most food for food banks in their communities.
 The attorney general sponsors the Legal Food Frenzy and hosts kick-off events around the commonwealth to encourage law firms to participate.
 This year, the firm of B. Cullen Gibson from Norfolk took overall first place by raising 7,500 pounds per employee and won the Attorney General’s Cup award.  In addition, a new category for legal departments was added this year, and was won by Dominion Services Resources, Inc., in Richmond.
“Virginians everywhere continue to struggle with hunger, and the legal community has once again stepped in to make a difference in the lives of those who are experiencing hunger on a daily basis. Their support means so much to so many!” said Leslie Van Horn, executive director for the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, a partner state association of Feeding America.
Derek Swanson, an associate at McGuire Woods LLP and Legal Food Frenzy co-chair, said, “The generosity of Virginia’s legal community never ceases to amaze me. In only five years, thousands of legal professionals have worked together to raise more than seven million pounds of food for Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens. We are committed to the food banks’ mission to end hunger in our commonwealth, and we will raise even more food in the next five years.”
 “Food banks are in every region of Virginia working every day to feed the hungry, especially children and the elderly.  And many of the charities that food banks supply don’t just give food away.  They try to help their clients learn new job skills, find jobs, and break the chains of poverty that are holding them down.  This kind of private charity helps make a healthier commonwealth for us all,” said Cuccinelli.
 The contest ran April 4 through April 15, and was open to all lawyers, their staffs, and members of the legal community across Virginia. Statewide winners will be presented with their awards at a special reception at the governor’s mansion this summer.
 In addition to thanking the food drive coordinators and representatives across the state, Cuccinelli thanked the Virginia Bar Association’s Food Frenzy co-chairs, Chris Gill of Christian & Barton, Derek Swanson of McGuire Woods, LLP,  and Virginia Robinson of Greenberg Traurig, LLP. 
 Legal Food Frenzy has raised the equivalent of 7,087,301 pounds of food throughout the commonwealth in the past five years.  

Click here for a full list of winners
 
  A copy of this news release may be found on the website of the Attorney General of Virginia at http://www.vaag.com/PRESS_RELEASES/index.html.
 

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