For $5 or three canned goods, families can swim at the Florence Aquatic Center on Saturday, July 25, and help stock the shelves at Go Pantry, the Florence-based nonprofit that feeds food-insecure children across Northern Kentucky.
The city of Florence announced the Christmas in July celebration on July 14, calling it a chance to "combine fun with giving back." All food donations collected at the gate will go directly to Go Pantry, which provides weekend food bags and food boxes during school breaks to kids who rely on school meals during the year.
Go Pantry's most-needed items for the drive are canned pasta and fruit cups, according to the city's announcement, written by Melissa Kramer of the city of Florence.
Go Pantry's growing need
Go Pantry has nearly tripled the number of children it serves since 2019, according to a Local 12 report published in April. The nonprofit now feeds 1,300 kids in more than 100 schools across 11 districts and six counties, according to the organization's website. Summer is the hardest stretch for those families because school breakfast and lunch programs are not running.
The organization moved into a new warehouse on Empire Drive in Florence in May, more than doubling its space to over 11,000 square feet to keep up with demand, Local 12 reported.
Getting there
The Florence Aquatic Center is located at the south end of the Florence Government Center complex. Regular season hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sunday, Aug. 9, then weekends only through Labor Day. No specific event hours for Christmas in July have been announced; residents can call 859-647-4619 for details.
Regular daily admission runs $13 for adults and $11 for children ages 3–15, so the $5-or-canned-goods deal on July 25 is a significant discount.
Note: The pool is closed Tuesday, July 21, and Wednesday, July 22, for the Northern Kentucky Swim League Championship Meet. It reopens Thursday, July 23, with $1 ice cream sandwiches for National Vanilla Ice Cream Day.
Upcoming community calendar
- Saturday, July 25 — Christmas in July, Florence Aquatic Center. Admission: $5 or three canned goods benefiting Go Pantry.
- Saturday, Aug. 22 — Go Pantry's Party for a Purpose fundraiser (fourth annual). Details at gopantry.org.
