CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – As food prices continue to climb, a Charlotte sports team is giving back.

Players, coaches, and Charlotte Hornets staff partnered with Food Lion and Coca-Cola to host its annual food distribution for 1000 families.

Hornets greats, past, and present, packed the Spectrum Center to help pass out the food.

Diane Overton, a grandmother of 25, says that prices are much higher at the grocery store.

“It’s high, today, I went in Aldi, and the ham was 30-something dollars, and it wasn’t but so big,” Overton said. “So we’re going to have chicken and turkey, and that’s good.”

Officials distributed one thousand bags of food which they say would break down to about 4,000 people. The total cost of the items given to each person is about $35-$40.

Meg Ham, president of Food Lion, says customers can save money using the MVP rewards program.

“The prices of food are going up just like the prices of other things,” Ham said. “Most important to us is being able to have fresh and affordable food for our neighbors in need and across our 1,108 store footprint.”

Families who showed up to the arena in Uptown got frozen turkey and canned goods to make a traditional meal.

Players paused practice to give back and interact with the community.

Point guard Dennis Smith Jr. says it’s imperative to give back in his hometown.

“Whenever you get in this position to help people whenever they need it and to see my teammates out here doing it with a smile and genuinely want to be here, I think that just goes to show what kind of guys we have on the team,” Smith said.

Some families say the gift sets them up to help others with a grateful heart.

“We are thankful, and we are going to share what we can’t use we will share with our neighbors… Happy Thanksgiving,” Diane Overton said.

If you missed this event, Kelly Oubre Jr. is giving out turkeys at Camino Health Center starting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday the 22nd.