Dole Family Day Luau + Hawaii Vacation Giveaway

2016 DOLE FAMILY DAY LUAU

We attended the Family Day Luau thanks to Dole’s invitation last Sunday. It was held at Fiesta Floats in Irwindale were all of the Rose Parade floats are housed and decorated yearly.

There were tons of fun activities including face painting, balloon twisting, a jumper, surfboard simulator, rock climbing, etc. The kids were able to partake in so many fun activities while donning their grass skirts.

And what’s a Luau without a yummy Hawaiin fare. The Kalua pork and Haupia dessert were my favorite.

We even got to try various flavors of Dole Jaya juice and the lil’ one enjoyed the Dole Mixations and her favorite from last year, the Dole Fruitocracy food pouches.

There were also dancers showcasing different Hawaiian dances but the highlight of our day is of course decorating the Dole Rose Parade Float. The is the 7th year Dole is participating in the Rose Parade and our 2nd year helping out.

DOLE ROSE PARADE FLOAT 2017 THEME

Dole Packaged Food’s 2017 float, “Spirit of Hawaii,” celebrates its rich history and beginnings in the Hawaiian Islands dating back to 1899 when James Dole first traveled to the islands.

The float includes a 10-foot tall sculpture of King Kamehameha, the largest waterfall in Rose Parade history consisting of more than 2,000 gallons of recycled water, an erupting volcano, and colorful animals including parrots, sea turtles and geckos decorated in tropical flowers. The floats lagoon will feature six dancers and at street level an additional 12 dancers will move to Pacific-Island dances.

The 2017 Dole float will feature fresh, non-GMO fruits and vegetables grown by DOLE, including bananas, pineapples and mangoes.

Along with the ‘Spirit of Hawaii,’ Dole Packaged Foods is participating in the ‘Spirit of Giving,’ and will be collecting non-perishable food items as part of its participation at the annual “Live on Green” event in Pasadena Dec. 30 – Jan. 1, as well as at Fiesta Floats and its headquarters in Westlake Village, Calif. to benefit FOOD Share, part of Feeding America, and its partners throughout the San Gabriel Valley.

 

GRAND HAWAIIAN VACATION SWEEPSTAKES

Dole Packaged Foods is launching a sweepstakes to kick off the final road to the 2017 Rose Parade. One lucky winner and a guest will get to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii. The sweepstakes will run through midnight of December 31, 2016.

Fans can enter for a chance to win the grand prize vacation, including hotel and airfare, as well as other weekly prizes.

DOLE FREE EVENT: LIVE ON GREEN

WHAT: Families are invited to indulge in food, entertainment, and fun activities at a FREE three-day event in Downtown Pasadena.

WHEN: December 30 2016 – January 1, 2017

TIME: Dec. 30 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Jan. 1, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m

The Live on Green festivities will be centered on the United States Air Force as it kicks off its 70th Birthday celebration, with over 20,000 sq. feet of exhibits, including a full-size F-35 jet, demonstrations, and entertainment. Numerous other family-friendly vendors and sponsors will be on-site to create a memorable experience and ring in the New Year.

Dole will have a major presence across the three-day event. In addition to the non-GMO fruits that will be intricately placed on the “Spirit of Hawaii” float at the Rose Parade, Dole will have live food and beverage demos at the Dole Bistro with DOLE California Cook-Off Champion and Hallmark Channel’s #besthomecook Finalist Ally Phillips from AllysKitchen.com, as well as Celebrity Chef and HSN Star Jamie Gwen.

Claressa Shields, the first person, male or female to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in boxing, (London and Rio) will also be on-site this year to act as Gwen’s sous chef and share healthy living tips with visitors. Exotic, healthy and fun food and drinks will be available to enjoy by Southern Californians and attendees from around the world. The “Live On Green” event will additionally have free entertainment, unique and rare exhibitions, and fun activities available to guests.

In between all the fun activities at the Dole Family Day Luau, I was also able to talked to Monica Spiro, the Associate Manager of Events for Dole Packaged Foods who shared with me about their mission to feed the hungry through FOOD Share.

Some schools in the Ventura Country who are participating in collecting non-persishable food will win a prize for the most collected food items. With the winning elementary school getting a garden and the winning high school to get a thousand dollars for their science program. “It is Dole’s mission to feed the hungry and feed people in general – delicious and nutritious food,” adds Monica.

How can we help Dole in their mission:

Dole Packaged Foods will be collecting canned goods and other non-perishable foods at  the Live On Green event, the Paseo Colorado Lifestyle Center and Fiesta Parade Floats, as part of its partnership with FOOD Share, Ventura County’s regional food bank. FOOD Share, is a part of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization serving 10 million meals annually to children, families, and senior citizens.

Hope we can all do our part to help and let’s enjoy the holiday. Let us know what you think of the Dole Float 2017 when you see it on New Year’s Day. And of course, if you win the Hawaii Vacation, let us know, we’d love for you to take us, haha. I’ve never been to Hawaii except the airport for a layover.To add to my bucket list: See the Rose Parade Live, go to Hawaii and tour a Dole plant.

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