MIAMI (November 10, 2015) — Carnival Cruise Line – the official cruise line of the New Orleans Saints – is partnering with the NFL franchise and Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans, La. to fight hunger this holiday season through a contest for area schools that provides a fun array of prizes to encourage the collection of canned goods and donations.
To participate, K-12 schools can sign up at http://no-hunger.org/schoolmealdrive/ and initiate the collection of food and/or funds for Second Harvest through December 17.
Carnival will reward the five schools collecting the most donations with a pizza party for the entire school. These five schools will also receive a Carnival cruise for a family of four and signed footballs from the New Orleans Saints to award via a drawing. Additionally, the top class in each of those schools will win a field trip to attend a party on board the Carnival Triumph, which will be the newest cruise ship addition to New Orleans when it arrives in April 2016. The next 10 schools making the largest donation to the Holiday Food & Fund Drive will also receive a pizza party for their respective school courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line. The winning schools will be announced at the Saints vs. Lions game on Monday, Dec. 21.
"At Carnival, we place tremendous importance on giving back to our homeport communities and we are delighted to be partnering with the Saints and Second Harvest on this wonderful initiative which will provide meals this holiday season to people in need in the greater New Orleans area," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
"We could not be more thankful for Carnival in helping us lead the fight against hunger in Southern Louisiana by providing incentives for schools to participate in our Holiday Food & Fund Drive," said Natalie Jayroe, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. "Our work together ensures that meals make it to the dinner tables of thousands of families struggling with hunger."
"The Saints and our local Second Harvest Food Bank have collaborated for years on several projects. We are thrilled that Carnival Cruise Line has been inspired by Second Harvest Food Bank's commitment to our community and has collaborated with us to make a difference during the holiday season," said Saints Owner Tom Benson. "We hope local students and their families will join us in fighting hunger and helping those in need in the Greater New Orleans area."
Building the World's Largest Cruise Ship out of Canned Goods – Dec. 21 in Champions Square
To celebrate the conclusion of the contest, Carnival will construct the world's largest cruise ship made out of canned food. The structure is being designed by the local American Institute of Architects (AIA) Chapter and the cans used to build the ship will be donated by Carnival to Second Harvest Food Bank. The initiative will ultimately provide more than 75,000 meals within the local community. Volunteers from Carnival, AIA and the Saints will begin construction on the morning of Monday, Dec. 21 and will finish just before the Saints' match-up with the Detroit Lions on ESPN's Monday Night Football (kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. CST).
Learn more about how to support Second Harvest this holiday season by visiting www.no-hunger.org.
For additional information on Carnival Cruise Line, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com. Carnival can also be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/carnival
YouTube: www.youtube.com/carnival
Instagram: www.instagram.com/carnival
Journalists also can visit Carnival's media site, www.carnival-news.com or follow the line's PR department on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CarnivalPR.
About Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line®" with 24 ships operating three- to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The company currently has two new 133,500-ton ships on order--Carnival Vista, set to debut in 2016, and an as-yet-unnamed vessel scheduled to enter service in 2018.
About Second Harvest
Second Harvest Food Bank is leading the fight against hunger and building food security in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education and disaster response. Second Harvest provides food to 474 partners and programs across 23 parishes, from the Mississippi border to the Texas state line. Together, we make up the largest charitable anti-hunger network in the state. With our community's help, we can make food security a reality for every household in South Louisiana. Second Harvest Food Bank is an affiliated ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, a member of Feeding America, and a United Way Partner Agency. To join us in the fight to end hunger, please visit www.no-hunger.org. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/2ndHarvestGNOA; fan us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/2ndHarvestGNOA or Instagram at @2ndHarvestGNOA.
About The American Institute of Architects
Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.
About New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints became a franchise in 1966 and are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The club was purchased by Tom Benson in 1985 and led the team to its first-ever winning record and playoff appearance in 1987. The Saints won Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 2, 2010 defeating the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17. Led by Owner Tom Benson, the team is committed to making a difference in the Gulf Coast region through numerous community initiatives. For more information about the New Orleans Saints, please visit www.NewOrleansSaints.com.
