Solar Bears share holiday spirit with community

ORLANDO, FLA – When the Orlando Solar Bears were reborn a year ago, one of the very first commitments the ownership made was to be a positive presence in the community. The team proceeded to team up with the Community Food and Outreach Center in Orlando to help provide food and services in a region that was suffering from both the economic downturn and the NBA lockout.
Monday afternoon, they once again joined the CFOC in helping to make the holidays brighter for hundreds of families. This time, however, the team got to see the smiling faces of the people as they handed out turkeys and all the trimmings at the CFOC campus a handful of miles away from the Amway Center.

“We couldn’t do an event like today without the help of the Orlando Solar Bears. It takes a lot of volunteers and a lot of resources to supply turkeys, food and other help to families in need here in Central Florida,” CFOC Executive Director Andrae Bailey said. “That’s why we’re so privileged to work with the Solar Bears, their management and ownership. They are such a bright star and a blessing to families here in Central Florida.”
Like most community service agencies, the CFOC is busy 365 days a year. Since it was founded, the center has been a one-stop shop for people in need. The center provides food, counseling, crisis care, medical care and more. In recent years, the work done by co-founder Scott George and his staff has become more and more needed – and necessary.
“We’ve been doing this for eleven years and the need continues to amaze us. Every year you think we’re getting a little bit closer to a healthy economy and families getting help and we find that families are still struggling like never before – more than ever,” George said. “We just want to provide them a hand up so they can one day become self-sufficient in these tough economic times.”
The center depends on donations from the public as well as assistance from corporate partners in the community. More than a year ago, the Haleski Foundation, the charitable arm of team owner Joseph Haleski’s family representing the Solar Bears, made a $20,000 donation with a pledge to join the CFOC it its mission.
Solar Bears President and Managing Partner Jason Siegel said that the CFOC’s commitment to the community made the center a natural choice as an organization that deserved the team’s backing. With the franchise fully developed, the Solar Bears targeted the Thanksgiving event as one to involve the full team in.
“They’re (CFOC) good people and they do great work. It’s one thing to make a donation. It’s another thing to donate time and spend some time here,” Siegel said. “We’ve got our whole team here and we couldn’t be more pleased to help out in a thoughtful and meaningful way.”
On a normal day, George said that the center helps approximately 500 families. On this day, about 400 hundred families received a turkey and a Thanksgiving care box with all of the essentials to have a holiday meal. Most of the food given out was donated by several hundred Solar Bears fans during a food drive at Sunday’s game. The turkeys came in part from an $11,000 donation by the team to the center.
“We knew from day one that this community could count on Orlando Solar Bears fans and that’s what it is about. When we play, we bring a community together and when we are able to reach out, we further extend what we know our fans already do and create an even bigger opportunity for people to give and give back,” Siegel said. “We’re just a bit of a platform and a little bit of a voice so to be able to have the thousands of fans that support us and our season ticket holders be able to be a part of what we are doing in the Orlando community is really special.”
The smiles on the families picking up the food warmed the unseasonably cool air where the production line stood. Solar Bears players helped to hand out the items, sharing heartfelt handshakes, hugs and even occasionally assisting with delivering the goods to cars for the trip home while Shades made friends with young and old. It made everyone’s day a memorable one.
“I think everyone here is having fun. The fans are having fun. We’re having fun,” Solar Bears assistant captain Derick Martin said. “It’s always important to give back. Any community you’re in, whether it is home or away, they’ve invited into their community so it’s important that we give back. Everyone on the team is excited to be doing this today and hopefully doing more during the season.”
Martin’s sentiment were shared by fellow defenseman Sean Lozenz, who has plenty of experience with community involvement after playing college hockey at Notre Dame.
“Without fans, without support from the community, we wouldn’t be a team. This is great to get out here and give back a little bit,” Lorenz said. “These are people who work hard for a living and they just need a little extra help. That’s what this (CFOC) is here for, this is what it was founded and based on. It’s what we wanted to focus on – making sure we give them a happy holiday.”
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