Food and Cash Donations Strong this Season
Just as it broke records opening weekend, Rotary Winter Wonderland is also breaking records at its close.
The annual holiday lights display at Wildwood Zoo collected $74,600 in cash donations, a nearly $19,000 increase from the 2016 season and the largest dollar amount collected for any season.
With a new program featuring live musicians and unseasonably warm weather early in the season, food donations were also strong in the 12th consecutive season of the holiday lights display. The season ended with 52,400 food items after just 36 days, making the 2017 season one of the strongest for food donations.
Since the average person can eat for $55 per week, the cash donations alone would be able to feed 1364 people for a week.
Food items are donated to 28 food pantries in the area and beyond. Cash donations both help fund the project and provide financial assistance to pantries, which typically have limited budgets and use donations to purchase needed items. Last July, checks were presented to St. Vincent’s, Soup or Socks, United Way’s Nutrition on Weekends program, and other pantries.
Last year, overall food donations passed the 500,000 mark, showcasing the impact of both the project on local hunger and the generosity of visitors in making it happen. Volunteers have also been essential for the continued success of the project, from the leadership team to the zoo hosts, to the small organizations that volunteer their time in unpredictable weather.
