Greater Orlando Sports Commission - Impact Update powered by Withum

Impact Update for Wednesday, November 24

Each week, we will distribute our Impact Update newsletter on Thursdays. We encourage you to share this information with friends, families, and business owners who may be able to take advantage of the resources, programming options, local highlights and industry news below.

Jason Siegel

President & CEO

Greater Orlando Sports Commission

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.”

- Eckhart Tolle

Teacher and author

Orange County Mayor Demings, Orlando Mayor Dyer and Dr. Pino from the Dept. of Health in Orange County along with partners from the Orlando Economic Partnership, Visit Orlando, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando launched a public safety initiative to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This is a county-wide initiative to debunk myths, highlight trusted voices and drive home the true benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Learn more at ocfl.net/IGotMyShot. #IGotMyShot

Local Resources.

Visit these pages for the most critical local health and government updates:
City of Orlando: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
Orange County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
Osceola County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
Seminole County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites
Lake County: Homepage
City of Orlando:
The Downtown Development Board (DDB) and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) created a webpage to assist with identifying grants and incentives that may be available to downtown businesses.
Orange County:
The #IGotMyShot mobile vaccination trailer continues to visit neighborhoods and businesses throughout Orange County. For next week’s schedule, or for more information about the #IGotMyShot campaign, visit ocfl.net/IGotMyShot.
Booster shots are now available at the vaccination site at the Orlando International Airport. The site is open from Thursday - Monday, Noon to 6pm and is located on the third floor of the airport near the checkpoint for gates 70 to 129.
Following the most recent announcement regarding federal eviction moratoriums, Orange County residents are urged to apply for the County’s Emergency Rental Assistance program if they are behind in rent payments due to the pandemic. The program may be able to help eligible residents pay 12 months of past due rent and 1 month of future rent, up to a total of $20,000. For more information and to confirm eligibility, click here.
CareerSource Central Florida is helping career seekers and displaced workers apply for the Reemployment Assistance program through the Department of Economic Opportunity.
The Orange County Library System offers Right Service at the Right Time, a free online tool and public resource that is particularly useful to those who have had their income affected by COVID-19. The service provides a platform to easily find information on government-assistance and community-support programs.
Osceola County:
Osceola County is currently accepting applications for emergency utility assistance for households impacted by COVID19. Funding is available for electric, gas, and water utilities only. If you reside in Osceola County and your household is impacted, please click here to complete the application.
Lake County:
Lake County residents can reach out to the Lake County Department of Housing and Human Services for information on SHIP rental assistance. Click here for more information.
Seminole County:
If you have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and live in Seminole County, The Sharing Center is currently accepting applications for rent/mortgage and utilities assistance. Click here for program criteria and to learn how to apply.
Covering Central Florida offers health coverage and a Special Enrollment Period for individuals who have been laid off related to COVID-19.
Additional Resources:
The US Small Business Association has compiled a database of private funding options to help small businesses. Browse the options available nationally, or input a zip code to explore location-specific funding.
OUC has a Small Business Assistance Fund which provides up to $2,500 in utility assistance for small businesses facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. Aid is in the form of a credit adjustment on your next OUC bill.
The US Small Business Association is accepting applications for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, which provides critical economic relief program for live venues, museums, movie theatres and more. Businesses interested in seeking assistance can contact Orlando Economic Partnership's BRACE team for guidance.
The Orlando Economic Partnership invites you to "Seize the Moment" by attending the first installment of their Investor Update luncheon series. Hear from President & CEO Tim Giuliani who will share the OEP's vision for the next three years and get insights from an expert economic development panel. And, meet one-on-one with Partnership staff and fellow investors while learning more about engagement opportunities with the organization.

Stay Engaged.

SunRail is offering a special Buy One, Give One free BOGO promo on Friday, Nov. 26, for Black Friday. The promotion will be available for purchase for one day only on the 26th and includes a one-way or round-trip ticket and can be purchased at any station ticket vending machine.
Cultures from all across the world will gather on the front lawn of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for the return of the annual FusionFest over Thanksgiving weekend. The free, two-day, multicultural festival draws people from more than 100 different cultures to share music, dance, food, visual arts, spoken word, games, and interactive activities.
What's Up Downtown for the Holidays is just over a week away! Join guest emcee District 4 City Commissioner Patty Sheehan for song and dance performances by local talent during this free event. Pack up your lunch and head to the Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola Park on Thursday, Dec. 2.
The State of Downtown address is hosted by the Downtown Orlando Partnership each year and is attended by hundreds of Central Florida’s most influential stakeholders and downtown supporters. This signature event on December 13 will feature networking and key note address by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
Curry Ford West launched a series of interactive selfie stations in its district last year and it was so popular that they decided to bring it back. Picture Perfect Holiday will kick off on Saturday, Dec. 4 during a Winter Festival celebration from 2-5 p.m.
The 2021 holiday season has finally arrived in Orlando. Throughout November and December, downtown Orlando is offering free, family-friendly holiday events and activities for all to enjoy.
Rollins College's student-run radio station launched a bi-weekly live concert series this month with performances every first and third Wednesday.
Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.
Universal Orlando's Florida resident specials include discounts on vacation packages.

“This team I’ll remember as being clutch. This team has a confidence about them, a willingness to assert themselves against their opponents, and they’re fearless. We’ve had other teams that had that, but very few had all of it.”

-Todd Dagenais

UCF Women's Head Volleyball Coach

See UCF Volleyball story below...

Around The Horn.

Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, has announced the 2020-2021 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism. Among the winners were the AAU Junior National Volleyball Championship in cooperation with Visit Orlando. Marking the largest event to date hosted at the Orange County Convention Center, the 48th AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships welcomed more than 135,000 participants to Orlando, Florida across two weeks, creating an estimated economic impact of $173.3 million for the region.
UCF women’s volleyball is aiming for more than just an NCAA tournament appearance. Winners of four straight conference titles, the 2021 team is now hungry for more.
Orlando City’s season ended last night with a first-round loss to Nashville in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Two AP Top 10 teams highlight the line up at the ESPN Events Invitational college basketball tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex over Thanksgiving weekend: No. 4 Kansas and No. 10 Alabama.
With one game remaining in UCF’s regular season, the return of quarterback Dillon Gabriel to the field remains in question. Knights coach Gus Malzahn was asked Monday about the star quarterback, who broke the collarbone in his left throwing arm on the final play of the game at Louisville on Sept. 17.
Rob Gronkowski returned to the lineup in the Bucs’ 30-10 win over the Giants on Monday Night Football and provided more than a security blanket to quarterback Tom Brady.
Filmed in the last six months leading up to Beijing 2022, go behind the scenes and follow some of the world’s best figure skaters as they chase their ultimate dream: the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.
Bowl season is quickly approaching, and with only three weeks left in regular-season play, there are still several teams in contention from each partner conference to make the trip to Orlando. Click to check out the latest Cheez-It Bowl and Vrbo Citrus Bowl projections from a panel of national college football reporters.
Tickets to the Cure Bowl at Exploria Stadium are now on sale to the public! Since 2015, the bowl has raised a collective $3.88 million. Over $1 million of the funds raised have gone to Dr. Annette Khaled, professor at the UCF College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences and head of the medical school’s cancer research division.
Don’t forget to register for the 6th World Research Summit for Hospitality and Tourism, Dec. 14-15 at UCF’s Rosen College. Jason Siegel, Greater Orlando Sports Commission President & CEO, will be speaking at this virtual, interactive event, which features in-depth panel topics including sustainability and growth in tourism, data-driven decision-making and hospitality in healthcare.

In The News.

The Orange County Mayor's Toy Drive is back! Since its first event in 2011, the toy drive has collected and distributed more than 56,000 toys to Orange County youth and family agencies, supporting residents in need during the holiday season.
The City of Orlando has long supported the growth and development of its downtown corridor through the work of the Downtown Development Board (DDB), which began in 1971. Fifty years later, there is much to celebrate and reflect upon. The Orange County Regional History Center is presenting an exhibition highlighting the achievements of the DDB through a timeline of important events and photographs showcasing the growth of the City Beautiful.
Orlando’s City District has launched a new micro-grant program that will help business owners. The Parramore Pride Grant is provides funding for small-scale projects in the Parramore Main Street District ranging to a maximum of $3,000 to use toward any interior or exterior physical improvements.
The Walt Disney Co.'s Destination D23 event from Nov. 19-21 laid out several new details about attractions on the way to the company's theme parks, including Walt Disney World.
From Smart Cities Dive: Flying taxis, hyperloops and driverless cars: Is it too early to start planning for future mobility?

Fun & Games.

25 things to do with out-of-towners in Orlando (that aren’t theme parks)
Orlando Sentinel Pictures: 2021 Battle of the Bands

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PAST ISSUES OF THE IMPACT UPDATE