Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining event, pandemic edition, raised a record-setting donation of $345,378, thanks in part to its record-setting run that kept the promotion going nearly four weeks past its intended end date.
The funds represent 345,378 dinners sold by participating restaurants who pledge to donate one dollar from every sale.
The beneficiary of this year’s monies is Feed the Need, the initiative started in March to help people affected by the pandemic. Feed the Need is spearheaded by 4 Rivers Restaurants founder, John Rivers, and his company’s charitable arm, 4Roots. In the photo above, Rivers, right, accepts a too-large check from Visit Orlando board chairman Brian Comes.
Since March, Feed the Need has served more than 1.6 million meals with the help of public and private partners in its mission to support farmers, preserve and create jobs, and serve nutritious meals throughout Central Florida.
Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining is a much-anticipated annual event where participating restaurants offer a three-course dinner for $35, which often represents a tremendous bargain. Although there were fewer restaurants on the roster this year, many of them emphasized outdoor dining and offered the three course dinners to go, a first in the event’s 20 years.