Cedar Point donates more than $6,500 to local organizations

Loose Change Fund celebrates 20 years of helping

Tuesday, 23 December 2008

SANDUSKY, Ohio, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 20th consecutive year, Cedar Point has donated all the money found at the park during the summer to a local organization. This year, the amusement park/resort located on the shores of Lake Erie gave more than $5,700 to the Victory Temple Soup Kitchen in Sandusky.

Cedar Point's Loose Change Fund was first started in 1988 and since that time has collected and donated more than $182,000 to local organizations.

"We are extremely grateful for this donation and Cedar Point's continued support of the Victory Temple Soup Kitchen," said Rev. Lonnie R. Walters, senior pastor of the Victory Temple Church. "These gifts will help us provide much-needed assistance to the less-fortunate people in the area."

During the season, Cedar Point employees collect and turn in any money found along the midway, beneath the rides and in the park's water fountain and water attractions to the Loose Change Fund.

"This was a team effort, and everyone participated," said John Hildebrandt, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. "Our employees take great pride in helping the people of our community."

Cedar Point will also make a donation of nearly $800 to the Northwest Ohio Aluminum Cans for Burned Children Fund of the Burn Care and Reconstructive Center at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center in Toledo.

Aluminum Cans for Burned Children is a special recycling program conducted by northwest Ohio firefighters and area businesses. Money earned from recycling aluminum beverage cans helps purchase non-medical items and services not covered by insurance that are essential to each patient's recovery. The fund is also used to provide burn prevention education programs for children throughout northwest Ohio and helps send recovering burn survivors to a regional summer camp designed specifically for burned children between the ages of 6-18.

Throughout the summer, Cedar Point collected and recycled all of the aluminum cans that were redeemed during special promotional events held at the park. Since 1989, Cedar Point has donated more than $29,000 from the recycling program.

Cedar Point's loose change helps charity (Sandusky Register)