Community Leaders Enjoy the Candlelight Processional at Epcot

It’s hard to get in the spirit of the holiday season when the calendar shows it’s December but the temperature in Orlando is 81 degrees. But last night I was able to feel the true magic of the season when, for the first time as a cast member, I experienced the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.

The experience was even more special as I was surrounded by hundreds of community leaders and friends who were invited by Walt Disney World Resort to enjoy this unique holiday tradition. The music of the 50-piece orchestra was touching, the voices of the community choirs were inspiring and the deep and familiar voice of celebrity narrator Andy Garcia was a treat.

But the true highlight of the evening was $100,000 donation that Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France, presented to two local organizations that help address homelessness and its underlying causes here in Central Florida. Receiving $50,000 each, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida provides food, shelter, and support services to people who are homeless and the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness is working to end homelessness in Central Florida.