Panthers, UKG Collect Over 4,000 Items for Harvest Drive Florida

SUNRISE, Fla. - While the exact start date of the upcoming NHL season remains a mystery, the Florida Panthers made sure that the season of giving began right on schedule last month.
In partnership with UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), the Panthers welcomed droves of generous fans to BB&T Center on a damp afternoon on Oct. 31 for a socially distant, drive-thru food drive to benefit Harvest Drive Florida's mission of supporting families in need throughout the holidays.

And given that it was Halloween, smiles were hidden behind both festive and practical masks.
"I think just like the Panthers, UKG and Harvest Drive are about the South Florida community and really helping those in need," said John Colombo, the Panthers Senior Director of the Florida Panthers Foundation and Community Relations. "Especially given the pandemic and everything that's happened the last few months, now more than ever people need help and support. It was a great opportunity for people to donate and give back during the holidays."

One of the Panthers' longest-standing community partnerships, Harvest Drive Florida has been assisting food-insecure families throughout Broward County since 1992. And even though the COVID-19 pandemic has made things difficult this year, it hasn't slowed down their enthusiasm.
With food-filled cars lined up around the front of the arena, volunteers from the Panthers and UKG successfully collected more than 4,000 items during the organization's drive-thru event, including 449 boxes of mac and cheese, 380 cans of soup and 325 cans of green beans.
For UKG, teaming up with the Panthers to lend a hand in the community was an easy decision.
"We absolutely love partnering with our hometown team," said UKG Director of Public Relations Heather Geronemus. "We're partners on the ice, in the community and in the back office. We're neighbors. We're just so dedicated to making a difference together."
Following the drive-thru, the food was then sorted the following week by Panthers staff at BB&T Center.
From there, the donations were taken by Harvest Drive Florida and sent to distribution centers, including the Cooper City Community Center where 225 families received donations. From Nov. 10-20, Harvest Drive Florida provided meals to approximately 1,300 local families.
"It's the kind of thing that no one person can do, but as a community -- and the Panther community is amazing -- we can work miracles," said Harvest Drive Florida Program Coordinator Amy Freund. "It means a lot… When you get to spend some time on the giving back side, you heart can slow down, you can breathe, and you realize the world is full of good people.
When I see how much food is in this truck, I know our community is good and strong."

When it comes to helping others, the Panthers know they can always count on their fans.
"We want to thank our fans for coming out today," Colombo said. "We know our Panther faithful are really into our community. We knew that having this drive even on a wet rainy day on Halloween that they'd come out in full force."