Atlanta Hawks Host Green Grocery Grab to Inspire Youth Sustainability Practices

The Atlanta Hawks hosted a Green Grocery Grab, a special sustainability event for local students, where they learned how to make environmentally friendly choices in their daily lives. The event, held at the Arthur Blank Family Youth YMCA, allowed participants to decorate reusable grocery bags and take part in a mini grocery shopping experience. Each youth brought home three bags of groceries, emphasizing the Hawks’ and Georgia Natural Gas’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and youth development.

During the event, students rotated through engaging activities designed to educate and inspire sustainable practices. In one activity, they explored the environmental impact of single-use bags through interactive games and discussions, highlighting the importance of adopting eco-conscious habits. The students then expressed their creativity by decorating reusable grocery bags, reinforcing the message of reusability.

At another station, the youth created grocery lists and budgets before participating in a hands-on grocery shopping experience organized in partnership with Goodr, an Atlanta-based company dedicated to reducing food waste. While shopping, volunteers guided the students in making environmentally friendly decisions, further equipping them with the tools to prioritize sustainability in their lives.

Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu, who joined the event to inspire the youth, reflected on the experience: “Something like this just humbled me a little bit, you know, bringing me back to a different time in my life. I’m just grateful to be here, right now, making a difference.”

Jon Babul, Vice President of Community Impact and Basketball Programs at the Hawks, emphasized the long-term vision of the event, stating: “We have been a leader, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, in the sports and entertainment industry around sustainable practices and how it’s really good for your community, our city, but more importantly, our business. And if we can connect the dots and share our knowledge with the next generation of Atlantans, we’re talking about generational change.”

The Green Grocery Grab was yet another example of the Hawks’ commitment to promoting sustainability and youth empowerment, leaving a lasting impact on the students and the Atlanta community.