ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 Instead of a stadium full of soccer fans, the Inter & Co Stadium was packed with food and people seeking assistance.<\/p>\n
The 10th annual Orlando City and Orlando Pride Turkey Giveaway drew thousands who received ingredients they might not otherwise afford.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are families that are struggling each and every day to provide even the basic needs,\u201d said President and CEO of Heart of Florida United Way Jeff Hayward.<\/p>\n
Publix provided 1,000 turkeys and side items to complete a family meal for residents of the City of Orlando District 5 for their holiday celebrations. Additional donated items were provided by Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Once Upon a Coconut, Spice World and Takis.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Nearly 2M travelers expected at Orlando International airport for Thanksgiving period]<\/p>\n
\u201cThings have been hard,\u201d Commissioner Shan Rose of Orlando\u2019s District 5 shared. \u201cThis is probably my fifth [food giveaway], and I\u2019ve got a couple more. I\u2019ve heard families coming out at 4 o\u2019clock in the morning to stand in line, so the need is here, and I\u2019m just grateful to serve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Families received everything needed for a Thanksgiving meal, including a roasting pan to cook their turkey in.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen they\u2019re getting all the vegetables and stuffing and mashed potatoes and everything that goes with a typical Thanksgiving meal. We\u2019re also having culturally appropriate meals, we put rice in the box, not everybody likes potatoes, and we also provide gift cards. If you don\u2019t like turkey, you can buy your own protein,\u201d Hayward explained.<\/p>\n
For Orlando\u2019s soccer teams, the event is a meaningful way to give back to their community.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Office gives out turkeys for Thanksgiving]<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you can see from the amount of volunteers we have, our staff look forward to this every year. It\u2019s one of the best events that we do,\u201d said Jarrod Dillon, president of Business Operations for Orlando City.<\/p>\n
Recipients of the meals expressed gratitude for the opportunity to have a Thanksgiving meal with loved ones, thanks to this event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no words to describe it, just the sharing, the joy, being with family, being with friends,\u201d one participant said.<\/p>\n
If you were unable to make it, you can call 211 to connect with the Heart of Florida United Way to get resources for food.<\/p>\n
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