Drayton Florence Day of Thanksgiving Event

Carolina Panthers star and Ocala native, Drayton Florence donated 215 Thanksgiving turkeys to families from Kids Central.   They were distributed at a Day of Thanksgiving celebration at the Ed Croskey Community Center in November, hosted by the Drayton Florence Foundation.

Kids Central, Inc. is a nonprofit organization serving Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties. The agency develops and manages a comprehensive, community-based system of care for abused, neglected and abandoned children and their families. Kids Central is committed to promoting the welfare of expectant mothers, babies, children and young adults through prevention services, in-home care, foster care, and adoption.

Florence, cornerback for the Carolina Panthers, established his Foundation to educate, motivate and stimulate youth, empowering them for a lifetime of success. Programs include technology labs at local community centers, military outreach programs, and Thanksgiving and Christmas events for families in need.  Supporters of the Day of Thanksgiving include Publix, Vanguard class of 1999, City of Ocala and Ed Croskey Community Center.

Drayton Florence Foundation Christmas Events

For the past 10 years, the Drayton Florence Foundation has provided Christmas for children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to celebrate the holiday season with gifts.  This year, the Foundation adopted children in both Florence’s hometown of Ocala and his NFL city of Charlotte.

Twenty nine pre-selected students and their families experienced true holiday cheer in a private celebration with members of the Florence family and Foundation staff.  Each child made a keepsake Christmas ornament craft and had a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.  In addition, through a partnership with WalMart in Ocala, each child was presented with a WalMart gift card to shop for themselves or their family members. The families were also provided dinner courtesy of the Foundation and Hungry Howie’s on East Silver Springs Blvd.

In partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank in Charlotte, the Foundation identified 58 children who experienced true holiday cheer in a celebration with Florence and his teammates.  The children had dinner with Florence, and through a partnership with Target, each child was presented with a Target gift card to shop for their family members.  For many of the children, the Foundation was able to give them a once in a lifetime special evening.

Second Harvest Food Bank generously donated Christmas dinner boxes for each of the children and their families.