Thriving In Place members had a wacky lunch as they learned about the benefits of tourism from Experience Kissimmee on May 7, during tourism week. Thriving In Place offers a weekly lunch with guest speakers discussing various topics every Friday. This is one of the many benefits of being a member.
Experience Kissimmee sponsored this specific lunch as they informed us that 65% of sales tax is related to tourism spending, and Osceola County has 8.9 million visitors each year! Experience Kissimmee stated that tourism is the largest industry in Osceola County and because of the benefits of tourist spending, the residents save $900 in taxes per household!
The Thriving In Place members had an opportunity to dress like a “wacky tourist” to have a little fun while celebrating the benefits of tourism during tourism week. Gatorland Orlando and WonderWorks Orlando donated door prizes for a drawing based on participation. It is through creative partnerships and exciting benefits that our members thrive.
Thriving In Place is a community-based membership program under the umbrella of the Celebration Foundation. Our members are Celebration residents who are at least 55 years of age, or a person with a disability of any age, who want to stay in their own homes and lead a healthy, safe, independent and productive life. For questions regarding Thriving In Place, please call Rachel McIntee at 407-572-9850, e-mail Thriving@celebrationfoundation.org, or visit the office at 690 Celebration Avenue.
– By Rachel McIntee
The above article appears in the July edition of the Celebration News