As we enter 2021, March for Meals 5K is moving forward with our run/walk to begin a new & positive year, so sign up today and start the new year healthy, happy, all for a great cause!

 

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Osceola Council on Aging “Meals on Wheels” program will host the national 2021 March for Meals campaign by kicking off “The KUA Presents March for Meals 5K.” The event will take place on Saturday, March 13, 2021 at the Kissimmee Lakefront Park and will include a 5K (3.1 mile) run and walk for individuals and/or corporate and family teams, largest and most spirited team competition, a free Kid’s Run, silent auction, and those who finish will receive a metal.  Plus, if you bring non-perishable food items to help us build the food pantry, you will be entered into a special prize drawing!

You can see the most-up-to-date information on the March for Meals 5K on our website www.osceolagenerations.com. The event will start at 7:00 a.m. (registration) and the run and walk begins at 8:00 a.m. The cost is $25 (before March 1ST) and $30 (March 2ND – 12th) and $35 (day of event).  To register online through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kua-presents-march-for-meals-st-patricks-5k-runwalk-registration-75868860805.

If you registered for March for Meals 5K in 2020, your registration would carry over into the 2021 registration.  Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you on March 13, 2021!

Team Challenge: “Team Challenge” allows folks to sign-up a team with five plus participants and compete for team awards in the following categories: MOST TEAM SPIRIT and LARGEST TEAM!  Be creative, use your imagination and “Let’s Be Fit for FOOD.” We look forward to bringing together businesses and organizations from all over Central Florida for a day of fun – “Team Challenge” excitement! Special discount offered with five or more entries ($5 off).

“We have seen such a need in our community due to the impact of the COVID-19
Pandemic, so our seniors and families in our community need us more than ever for
food and services, that is why it is so imperative to have the Meals on Wheels program,” said Wilda Belisle, Senior VP of Meals on Wheels for the Osceola Council on Aging. “Meals on Wheels is much more than a meal a day; it also it gives us an opportunity to check in on our seniors, now more than ever. We need individuals, corporate and family teams to come out and walk and run to help individuals who are counting on us to provide them a hot and/or cold meal. We need to fight hunger today! We need our community’s help!”

March for Meals is a national campaign held during the month of March, initiated and sponsored by the Meals on Wheels Association of America to raise awareness of senior hunger and to encourage action on the part of local communities. Hundreds of Senior Nutrition Programs across the United States, like Meals on Wheels, promote Osceola Council on Aging March for Meals through public events, partnerships with local businesses, volunteer recruitment and fundraising initiatives.

“The month of March is a fitting time to not only celebrate the successful history of Meals on Wheels, but for our communities to understand that our Meals on Wheels programs are serving and average of 77% more meals and 47% more seniors than they were on March 1st last year,” said Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America. “Meals on Wheels America finds that nearly all local Meals on Wheels programs are experiencing financial strain and uncertainty while maintaining critical service to an estimated hundreds of thousands more seniors than before the pandemic hit in March 2020.”

If you would like to be a March for Meals 5K partner and would like more information, please contact Wilda Belisle at the Osceola Council on Aging at 407-847-2144 or belislew@osceola-coa.com.

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About Osceola Council on Aging’s Meals on Wheels
A service that assists the frail, elderly, and younger disabled shut-ins by providing them with hot and cold nutritious meals. The service allows them to remain in their own home environment. Our mission is to end senior hunger by 2025. With the help of the community we can make this possible!  www.osceola-coa.com

About Meals on Wheels Association of America
Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. This network serves virtually every community in America and, along with more than two million staff and volunteers, delivers the nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks that enable America’s seniors to live nourished lives with independence and dignity. By providing funding, leadership, education, research and advocacy support, Meals on Wheels America empowers its local member programs to strengthen their communities, one senior at a time. For more information, or to find a Meals on Wheels provider near you, visit www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org.

 

Contact:
Kathy Pierson
Kathy Pierson Communications
407-595-8099 or kpierson@cfl.rr.com