Businesses unite to ‘Knock Out’ hunger

Three local businesses are stepping into the ring this week to knock out hunger with the “Chow Down Show Down.” Click Boutique & Gallery, Caliente Grille and Keg and Barrel are slipping on their boxing gloves for a little friendly competition.  

The competition is not a literal fight, but a fight to end hunger in the Hattiesburg community. The official “referee” of the event is Raven Tynes of Extra Table, a local non-profit organization that fights hunger in the state. Tynes will tally up the scores to determine the winner at the end of the week. All proceeds will go to Christian Services as they gear up for their annual Thanksgiving meal, which will feed hundreds of Hattiesburg natives on Nov. 20.

To entice locals to donate at their location, each business is “fighting dirty” by bribing customers with incentives to bring in canned goods. Anyone who brings a donation to Click will receive 20 percent off any piece of jewelry at the downtown shop or Twelve Oaks Accessory Garden next door. Caliente is offering free chips and queso with a canned donation. Keg and Barrel is offering one free canned beer in exchange for three canned goods. Extra Table is helping out by getting a total value of the entire donation from all three locations. Once the value of the donation has been calculated, Caliente, Keg and Barrel and Click will match the donation dollar for dollar.

The idea came from Caliente owner and University of Southern Mississippi graduate Charles Arinder, who saw a need in the community and wanted to help.

“The concept in general completely baffles me that in 2012 people can still be going hungry,” Arinder said. “My goal was to help meet a basic need and have the help directly affect the Hattiesburg and Pine Belt communities.”

John Neal of Keg and Barrel was excited to get involved in the canned food drive and has a surprise up his sleeve, which will be announced on Friday.

“The Keg and Barrel has been involved with the animal shelter for multiple years,” Neal said. “I think it is very important for small local businesses to give back to the community.”

What will the winning location get for knocking out their competition?

“Each location has been tossing wages on the table for the winner,” Jason Le Viere, co-owner of Click, said. “If we lose, my business partner Adam Myrick and I will go to the winning location and bus tables for an entire day, and all of our tips will be donated to Extra Table.”

Stay updated on the Chow Down Show Down competition on the businesses’ Facebook and Twitter pages.