ORLANDO, Fla. — Thousands of Central Floridians will be able to share a meal this Thanksgiving thanks to the Orlando Pride and Orlando City FC. They came together at Inter & Co stadium for a special giveaway.
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On the heels of a big win over the weekend for the Orlando Pride, and as Orlando City is just days away from a big championship game, the teams are showing they are a big success on and off the field. “It’s one of the best days of the year for us,” said Jarrod Dillon, President of Orlando Pride, Orlando City FC. “We have the blessing to be here with a couple of hundred volunteers from our academy players and numerous partners.”
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About 1,000 turkeys - with all the trimmings - were donated, benefitting thousands of families across the area. “I’m here to get Thanksgiving stuff for me and my kids so we can have a Thanksgiving dinner. I appreciate it; we need more of this,” said one of the attendees who received the donation. “We want everybody to enjoy the holidays, and we know some families are hurting and in need of resources, so those of us who have much should give back, and I’m happy to be here to do that,” said Georgia Lorenz, a volunteer at the event.
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The traditional giveaway has been going on for almost ten years, and, win or lose, they have no plans to stop. “We do it for our community. We all need to give back all we can. Despite all the celebrations and fun things going on, this is real life every day for many people,” said Dillon. “We are very humble and understand we play a large part in our community.”
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The team tells me this is also a way to thank the community for the support they received after their league title win this weekend.
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