Gatorland Partners With WESH 2 Share Your Christmas Food Drive For 4th Consecutive Year
Live Drop Off Location Scheduled For December 8th, Donations Accepted Now
ORLANDO, Florida (Dec. 5, 2016) – Gatorland®, the “Alligator Capital of the World,” is proud to announce it has partnered again with WESH 2 for the Share Your Christmas Food Drive. On Thursday, Dec. 8, between 6 a.m. and noon, the public is invited to stop by to drop off their food donations while WESH TV anchors broadcast live on location at Gatorland from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and do meet and greets until Gatorland makes its check presentation to Second Harvest Food Bank live during the noon newscast. Guests to Gatorland can begin dropping off their food donations at the park any day through Dec. 8, if they are unable to do so that day.
“We are excited to be working with WESH 2 for our fourth year in a row and again be presenting a check to the Second Harvest Food Bank for $10,000,” said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland. “Our commitment to giving back to the community is very important to us.”
Gatorland is working with local schools to encourage students and their families to drop off food donations at the park. Tim Williams, Gatorland’s “Dean of Gator Wrestling,” will be visiting Lake Nona High School and Sunchild Academy to excite the children about giving back to the community and distributing some complimentary Gatorland admission tickets. Gatorland is also challenging area businesses and attractions to step up to donate.
This is the 31st annual WESH 2 Share Your Christmas Food Drive benefitting Second Harvest Food Bank, which provides food and basic-needs items to more than 500 grass roots organizations in Central Florida. To date, the WESH 2 Share Your Christmas Food Drive program has donated over 60,000 pounds of food and more than $159,000.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a private, nonprofit organization that collects, stores and distributes donated food to more than 550 feeding partners in six Central Florida counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia. Last year, with the help of numerous donors, volunteers and a caring, committed community, the food bank distributed 50 million meals to partner programs such as food pantries, soup kitchens, women’s shelters, senior centers, day care centers and Kids Cafes. For every $10 contributed, up to $90 worth of groceries can be provided for struggling families, seniors, kids, veterans and others. Florida has one of the highest rates of food insecure children in the U.S. For more information on helping, go to www.feedhopenow.org.
Gatorland is a 100-acre theme park combining Old Florida charm with exciting experiences, exhibits and entertainment. The park originally opened as a roadside attraction in 1949. Today, it provides affordably-priced family fun featuring thousands of alligators and crocodiles, breeding marsh with observation tower, free flight aviary, nature walk, petting zoo, educational wildlife programs, award-winning gift shop, Florida’s best train ride, Gator Gully Splash Park, on site restaurant and one of a kind shows including Gator Wrestlin’, Gator Jumparoo and Up-close Encounters. Another not to be missed feature is the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line with over 1,200 feet of high flying thrills, five intense zip lines and a massive 150-foot suspension bridge.