When the Florida Panthers take to the ice at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, their focus extends far beyond just scoring goals. They are now actively engaged in a mission to address food insecurity in South Florida. The defending Stanley Cup champions have joined forces with a Florida-based health insurance company and a local nonprofit to make a significant impact on the lives of hungry residents. This partnership, known as “Goals for Food,” ensures that for every goal scored by a Panthers player at home during the regular season, 650 meals are contributed to those in need.
Harvest Drive: A South Florida Lifeline
Harvest Drive, a South Florida nonprofit based in the county where the Panthers play, plays a crucial role in coordinating the distribution of these much-needed meals. As Renee Herman, the founder of Harvest Drive, shared with Fox News Digital, “There’s just no words to tell you how great it’s been going. It’s just amazing.” The Panthers have been working with Harvest Drive for years, but it was only last season during their run to the Stanley Cup that they began tying their on-ice performance to food donations.During the 2023-24 season, the Panthers scored 168 goals at home, which translated to an astonishing 109,200 meals. So far this season, they have already scored 40 goals, amounting to 26,000 meals and counting. Last week, Harvest Drive had its busiest time of the year as volunteers from both the organization and the Panthers served about 2,400 families ahead of Thanksgiving. These families receive not just a turkey but a full package of perishables including milk and pie, along with a $30 Walmart gift card.“Goals for Food” in Action
A volunteer wearing a shirt celebrating the Panthers’ Stanley Cup win can be seen sorting collected food as part of the “Goals for Food” program. This initiative goes beyond just the holiday season and aims to provide sustainable support throughout the year. John Colombo, the vice president of the Florida Panthers Foundation, emphasized that “hunger is a 12-month thing.” In addition to the goals program, the Panthers hosted a food packing and distribution event in August, where volunteers collected 22,000 pounds of food to benefit 1,000 families. They also held a food drive before their Nov. 7 home game against the Nashville Predators, which was a 6-2 victory. The Panthers’ six goals that night resulted in 3,900 donated meals.The decision to contribute 650 meals per goal was a collaborative effort between the Panthers, Florida Blue, and Harvest Drive. As Colombo explained, “That’s a lot of meals for one single goal. We can’t control wins and losses on the ice, but we can control how we partner in the community.” The Panthers are fortunate to work with Harvest Drive due to its direct link to South Florida schools. “These kids, every two weeks, go home with meals in their car when they get picked up from school,” Colombo said. The food goes “right from our donors, right into the hands of social workers that are going right into the cars of these kids who really need the food.”Other NHL Efforts
Other NHL organizations are also stepping up to help feed the hungry this Thanksgiving. Players from the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators have been distributing turkeys to local families in need, while the Buffalo Sabres have provided vouchers for future game tickets in exchange for turkey donations during an area food drive. The Panthers recognize that they are “a little different” from some of their peers in the NHL and that their impact starts in the community.As Peter Burke, the lifestyle editor with Fox News Digital, concludes, “We can’t control wins and losses on the ice, but we can control how we are as a partner in the community. And that’s always been our goal here.” The Florida Panthers’ efforts to cross-check food insecurity in South Florida are making a real difference in the lives of many.
