RICHMOND The goal of raising one million pounds of food for the second year of the Virginia Legal Food Frenzy was announced this past week at a press conference held by the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and Virginia Bar Association.

The Legal Food Frenzy is a state-wide competition held within the Virginia legal community to raise food and funds for Virginias food banks from March 31 to April 11a traditionally slow period for donations.

The firm that raises the most food in relation to its size wins the Attorney Generals Cup, which will remain with the winning firm until the third annual competition, according to a press release.

Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell will serve as chairman of the competition for a second time. Last year, 175 Virginia law firms raised nearly 679,000 pounds of food.

McDonnell said the competition is a great way to include the legal community in raising awareness about hunger. Usually lawyers are perceived as competitive, he said, but their other characteristics do not receive as much attention.

Theyre always generous; (theyre) involved in the business of solving problems, McDonnell said.

Katja H. Hill of LeClairRyan and the Virginia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division stated in a press release that last years Food Frenzy proved how competitive lawyers can be, but it is not the prizes that matter most.

While one law firm will take home the Attorney Generals Cup, the real winners will be those Virginians who receive a warm meal thanks to the Legal Food Frenzy, Hill said.

Leslie Van Horn, executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, said programs such as Legal Food Frenzy are the first line of defense against hunger and provide meals and household products for those in need.

The true winners of the Legal Food Frenzy are those we serve, Van Horn said.