Two Weeks Left in Orange County Great Park Food Drive

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Come to the Great Park to celebrate the harvest season and help local families fight hunger now through November 18. Visitors can support the month-long Great Park Food Drive by bringing non-perishable canned or packaged food items to the special collection bins located in the Great Park Visitors Center inside Historic Hangar 244 or to the Great Park Farmers Market. Donations will help Second Harvest Food Bank and the Orange County Food Bank fight hunger this holiday season.

Each food donor will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate from Dick's Sporting Goods. The winner of the Dick's Sporting Goods gift certificate will be notified on Wednesday, November 21. One entry per donation drop-off.

"We're proud of our reputation as a 'park with a heart,'" said Beth Krom, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation. "Our goal is to collect 5,000 pounds of non-perishable food donations, which will provide about 4,400 meals for Orange County families in need. According to Second Harvest Food Bank, 615,000 people in Orange County are at risk of hunger each month."

The Great Park Food Drive officially kicked-off at the Great Park Pumpkin Harvest on Saturday, October 20. Visitors to the Pumpkin Harvest donated more than 2,775 pounds of food. More than 14,000 visitors attended and enjoyed the day-long celebration featuring family entertainment, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treat stations, a harvest walk and Monster Mash puppet show.

Great Park Food Drive Drop-Off Station Hours

• The Great Park Visitors Center is open on Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. 
• The Great Park Farmers Market is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

The Orange County Great Park is located at Sand Canyon and Marine Way, and can easily be reached by the 5 or 405 freeways.  

For more information, visit, please visit www.ocgp.org or call 866-829-3829.

About the Orange County Great Park

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Southern California enjoy the Orange County Great Park's array of recreational and educational opportunities and participate in shared experiences, including panoramic views from the iconic Great Park Balloon that rises 400 feet in the air. Other Great Park features include the Carousel, Farm + Food Lab, Kids Rock Playground, Walkable Historical Timeline, Palm Court Arts Complex, North Lawn recreation area and historic Hangar 244.  In addition to free sports clinics, gardening workshops, weekly Farmers Market and other community events, the Great Park hosts an annual series of special events that provide unique experiences for the entire family, including the Growing the Park: Anniversary Celebration, Great Park Pumpkin Harvest, Great Night! Family New Year's Eve and the Flights & Sounds Summer Festival. With its approximate 1,300-acre master plan, the Great Park is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org.

SOURCE Orange County Great Park