Sacramento, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings new sports and entertainment facility, Golden 1 Center, is the world’s first LEED Platinum certified arena, featuring unique innovations designed to curb climate change, take advantage of regional resources, and reflect the environmental values of the region. In advance of Earth Day, April 22, the team shared the results from the first months of their innovative food recycling program, Second That.
Second That is a collaboration with Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services and Legends Hospitality to distribute prepared, unserved foods in a safe, efficient and timely method to families and individuals in need, keeping the food out of landfills.
Through the first six months of the program, over 12,251 pounds of food has been picked up from the Golden 1 Center and distributed to families in the Sacramento region. This translates to 10,209 meals and roughly 6,652 pounds of carbon dioxide saved from landfills since October 2016.
“We thought a lot about how we can profoundly impact Sacramento – and lead the way for new and old arenas across the globe,” said Kings President, Chris Granger. “By looking at the entire food cycle, with a focus on how we use our resources intelligently, Second That creates a unique opportunity to help our community while protecting our planet.”
Through Second That, Golden 1 Center safely prepares and stores food for distribution through over 200 participating partners in the Sacramento region. Select items from the arena’s Local Eats stands, as well as various clubs, are packaged, properly cooled and set aside for pickup by Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services before it heads to residents throughout the region.
The same high-quality ingredients that serve the arena, sourced within 150 miles of the venue help to feed over 130,000 people. Not only is Second That a model for how sports teams and venues can act as an agent of change in their community, The Kings, Legends and Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services hope it will serve as a catalyst in the region and inspire other food businesses to find ways to help hungry families and individuals.
“Creating a pipeline of healthy, fresh food to families is essential to serving our region,” said Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services President/CEO Blake Young. “Second That is not just helping feed our community, but inspiring others to find unique ways to support each other.”
Golden 1 Center has created a new model of sustainability as the first LEED Platinum indoor sports venue. Sustainability and environmental awareness are at the forefront of the arena’s innovative food program, including a one of a kind sourcing charter and by sourcing 90 percent of all ingredients within 150 miles of the arena drastically reducing vehicle miles travelled.
For more about Second That and to see the distribution procees, watch a recent video from the Kings Sustainability Impact Night at Golden 1 Center.
