Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining raises $269,272 for Orange County charities

Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel
·2 min read

Visit Orlando announced today the donation of $269,272 to Orange County charities supporting survivors of abuse in Central Florida from funds raised through the tourism association’s Magical Dining program.

“Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining celebrates our destination’s vibrant culinary scene and makes an indelible impact on our local community,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, in a news release. “We are appreciative for the enthusiastic support of a record-breaking 132 restaurant participants and grateful to all the diners who helped us raise funds to combat human trafficking and support survivors.”

Pictures: Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining 2023

During Magical Dining, participating venues offered three-course, prix fixe menus, with $1-$2 from each meal sold designated for charity. The program ran from Aug. 18 to Oct. 1 this year, and will return next August.

The majority of this year’s haul will benefit The Lifeboat Project. Based in Apopka, this nonprofit raises awareness about human trafficking and provides lifelong support and guidance for survivors, offering short- and long-term after care, residential programs, education and more.

Additionally, $2,000 donations will be given to six other nonprofits, one in each commission district of Orange County. These are Mustard Seed of Central Florida, Nuevo Sendero, One Heart for Women and Children, Samaritan Village and Wake Up Mentoring.

In its 18th year, Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining program has raised more than $2.5 million for local charities, but it also raises awareness for local restaurants, from large hotel venues to small mom-and-pops.

Visit Orlando recognized four of its restaurant participants as 2023’s top performers: Seasons 52 (overall winner), The Pinery (top performing new restaurant, $40 menu), Ava MediterrAegean (top performing new restaurant, $60 menu) and The Nauti Lobstah (largest increase from 2022 to 2023).

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“I am so proud of Visit Orlando’s 18-year commitment to growing Magical Dining for the benefit of our community,” said Terry Prather, board chair of Visit Orlando, in a release. “It is an essential program and one of my favorites for its perfect three-ingredient recipe: It makes a real impact in Orange County, supports local restaurants and offers great meals for our residents and visitors to enjoy when our restaurants need the business the most.”

Additional information about the program, including a full list of benefiting charities and participating restaurants, is available at OrlandoMagicalDining.com.

Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.