Organizers of the Georgia Legal Food Frenzy are bracing for a mad scramble to raise $75,000 in the Atlanta area and more around the state in the fundraising competition's final day.

The campaign to help the Atlanta Community Food Bank is ahead of last year's pace but faces a daunting goal of $250,000 for the two-week competition. As of Thursday at 5 p.m., the Atlanta campaign had raised $175,000, a jump of $30,000 for the day.

Attorney General Chris Carr, one of the sponsors of the event, “urged all participating lawyers to donate the equivalent of one billable hour” to the cause, which benefits the 25 percent of Georgia children who are food insecure. “One hour to help these kids thrive and learn instead of worrying about where their next meals is coming from,” Carr wrote.

As competitors scoop up every single dollar they can—each of which can buy four meals for hungry families, according to Food Bank officials—the law firm leaderboard will be interesting to watch. As of 5 p.m., Thursday, King & Spalding held a narrow lead over Joe S. Habachy PC, $17,815 to $16,480.

The other top teams included: Georgia Institute of Technology Office of Legal Affairs, $11,750; Troutman Sanders, $7,761; Jenkins & Roberts, $6,730; Serta Simmons Bedding LLC, $5,555; DeKalb County Public Defender's Office, $4,886; Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, $4,861; Jones Day, $4,324; Moore Ingram Johnson & Steele, LLP,
$4,000.

The event is timed so that food banks can stock up for the coming months, when Georgia children can't get the meals they rely on during the school year.

Last year, the statewide event—sponsored by Carr, the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar and the Georgia Food Banks Association—raised a record $329,000 and 19,000 pounds of food for all of Georgia's food banks.

Readers who want to donate but aren't supporting a particular team may donate via the Daily Report's team page here.