Great Park Hosts Third Annual Scarecrows in the Park Charity Contest

“Best in Crow 2012” up for grabs in competition to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and support monthly children’s workshop series at Great Park

IRVINE – Calling all scarecrows! The Great Park is challenging Orange County’s businesses and community organizations to show off their creative and philanthropic spirit in a unique fundraising and fun-raising contest called Scarecrows in the Park! Each participating organization in the third annual competition builds a creative, themed scarecrow that will be displayed at the Great Park’s Farm + Food Lab during the Great Park’s annual Pumpkin Harvest event on Saturday, October 20 and remain on display through the end of October. Photos of each scarecrow will also be posted to the Orange County Great Park website.

The $500 tax-deductible entry fee paid by participants will help to underwrite more than 750 meals for hungry families and support the ongoing monthly children’s workshop series held at the Great Park Farm + Food Lab. These workshops engage more than 100 children and adults each month with topics that include Eco-Smart Kids, Garden Pollinators and Song Birds of Summer.

Visitors to the Farm + Food Lab and Pumpkin Harvest event and the Great Park website will be able to vote on their favorite scarecrows. Winning entries will be recognized at the Great Park Board of Directors meeting in November. Registration forms and entry fees are due by October 4, 2012. Scarecrows in the Park guidelines, registration information and past participant photos can be found on the Scarecrows in the Park page.

About Second Harvest Food Bank
Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County is working to eliminate hunger in Orange County. Through a network of nearly 500 local member non-profits, the Food Bank distributes more than 16 million pounds of nutritious food to our neighbors in need. Learn more about Second Harvest Food Bank’s work in the community – and how you can help – at https://feedoc.org

About the Great Park
Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Southern California enjoy the Orange County Great Park’s array of recreational and educational opportunities, including panoramic views from the iconic Great Park Balloon that rises 400 feet in the air. Other Great Park features include the Carousel, Farm + Food Lab, Kids Rock Playground, Walkable Historical Timeline, Palm Court Arts Complex, North Lawn recreation area and historic Hangar 244. In addition to free sports clinics, gardening workshops, weekly Farmers Market and other community events, the Great Park hosts an annual series of special events that provide unique experiences for the entire family, including the Growing the Park: Anniversary Celebration, Great Park Pumpkin Harvest, Great Night! Family New Year’s Eve, and the Flights & Sounds Summer Festival. With its approximate 1,300-acre master plan, the Great Park is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org.