ORLANDO – The Florida Moose Association turned its annual convention Sept. 10 to 12 at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando into a weekend of community service.
Members collected 10,000 pounds of peanut butter for the annual Peanut Butter Challenge.
The convention’s Heart of the Community efforts also included 34 volunteers serving at Give Kids the World, 11 blood donors and the collection of 1,524 WISH pillowcases for Give Kids the World.
But it was the mountain of peanut butter that provided one of the weekend’s most visible examples of what can be accomplished when Moose members work together.
The Orange County 4-H Club played an important role in the effort, helping organize thousands of pounds of donations.
“Moving 10,000 pounds of peanut butter was no easy task, and the Orange County 4-H Club kids were absolutely amazing,” said Kimberly Kelly, Florida Moose Association Heart of the Community chairman. “Their enthusiasm and willingness to jump in and help made them an important part of what we accomplished.”
The peanut butter collection is expected to provide a significant boost to this year’s UF/IFAS Extension Office Orange County’s Peanut Butter Challenge, which collects the popular pantry staple for distribution through local food pantries.
“When you first hear 10,000 pounds, you know it is a tremendous amount of peanut butter,” Kelly said. “But when you begin thinking about the people those donations can help, the number takes on an entirely different meaning. Every jar represents an opportunity to put food on someone’s table.”
Kelly hopes the association’s contribution helps the Orlando area. She described Heart of the Community as people helping people.
“Whether someone volunteered an hour, donated blood, made a pillowcase or brought in a jar of peanut butter, every person contributed to something much bigger than any one of us could accomplish alone,” Kelly said.
PULL QUOTE
“Our fraternity was built on the belief that a burden heavy to one is borne lightly by many. This weekend, we didn’t just repeat those words. We lived them. That is who we are. That is what the Moose does. That is the power of working together and that is the true heart of the community.” – Kimberly Kelly, Florida Moose Association Heart of the Community chairman
