The Atlanta Community Food Bank will host its 42nd annual Hunger Walk Run on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at The Home Depot Backyard, with virtual participation options available to support hunger relief efforts across the region. This hybrid 5K event comes at a critical time as the organization faces the highest demand for food assistance since the pandemic, making community participation more impactful than ever.
Each registration directly translates to meals for neighbors in need, with walkers helping provide 90 meals and runners contributing 120 meals through their participation. Since its inception in 1984, the Hunger Walk Run has raised more than $16 million for hunger relief, enough to provide over 48 million meals to communities across metro Atlanta and north Georgia. The event benefits not only the Atlanta Community Food Bank but also five other local hunger relief organizations.
Kyle Waide, President & CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, emphasized the event's significance, stating that every participant helps enable the Food Bank and partner organizations to connect neighbors with nutritious food and vital resources. The Atlanta Community Food Bank serves as the Southeast's largest food bank, working with more than 700 nonprofit partners throughout the year to address food insecurity.
Participants can choose between in-person and virtual options, with the virtual Hunger Walk Run allowing supporters to participate from any location on March 15 or at their convenience. The event encourages community engagement through social media sharing using the hashtag #HWR2026, though participants should avoid tagging organizational accounts directly in their posts.
Registration remains open through 12 pm on Friday, March 13, with online registration available at varying rates based on participation type. The family-friendly event includes music, food vendors, warm-up activities, and a dedicated Kids Zone with bounce houses, slides, and interactive characters, ensuring accessibility for participants of all ages and abilities.
For business and technology leaders, this event represents a tangible opportunity to address systemic community challenges through collective action. The sustained impact of the Hunger Walk Run demonstrates how consistent community engagement can generate significant resources over decades, with the Atlanta Community Food Bank having distributed its one billionth meal in 2023. As organizations increasingly focus on social impact alongside business objectives, events like this provide measurable outcomes for corporate social responsibility initiatives while addressing urgent community needs.
