Here’s What You Need To Know About #GivingTuesday

We all know about standing in line waiting for those doors to open at the local big box retailer on Black Friday. It’s a tradition in some households that has become as common as turkey and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving weekend.

Many of us know about Small Business Saturday – supporting local retail establishments the day after Black Friday. And many of us have chosen to avoid the chaos of the holiday shopping crowds, waiting until Cyber Monday to find that perfect deal.

Now it’s time to add another day important day to our holiday vernacular: #GivingTuesday.

The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is joining Metropolitan Ministries as they kickoff the Christmas giving season on Tuesday, Dec. 1. As part of their Giving Tuesday initiative, Metropolitian Ministries wants to wipe out hunger in the Bay area by wiping 2,500 plates off a table – and Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is on board. Each plate symbolizes the number of meals Metropolitian Minitstries serves daily on campus and through outreach in the community at their meal site partners.

Metropolitian Ministries goal is to raise $50,000 on #GivingTuesday.

Metropolitian Ministries is challenging the community to give selflessly on this global day of giving. In addition to the 2,500 daily meals they provide all year long, Metropolitan Ministries will serve 20,000 families at their holiday tent.  That’s 103,812 meals in the month of December!

Did you know it only takes $1.76 to fill an empty plate and provide a full meal – including dessert – to someone who is hungry?

Here are some of the ways you can get involved on #GivingTuesday

  • Donate: You can help Metropolitian Ministries meet their goal by giving early. So you don’t have to wait until #GivingTuesday to make a donation. You can give right now!

Give Now for #GivingTuesday

  • Post on social media: You can help Metropolitan Ministries promote Giving Tuesday by spreading the word on social media and using the hashtag #GivingTuesday in your posts.
  • Take an Unselfie: We all love to take selfies, but there are times when its’s best to let our actions speak for themselves. To take an unselfie, simply place a written sign in front of your face that reads “I’m giving on #GivingTuesday” and accompany it with the hashtag #Unselfie, take a picture of it and post it on social media. Don’t forget to post it to Metropolitan Ministries’ social media pages.

In addition to supporting #GivingTuesday, all throughout the month of November, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa guests will have the opportunity to support Metropolitan Ministries.

The casino will be donating 100 percent of the proceeds from sales of limited-edition Metropolitan Ministries blue sunglasses from the Rock Shop, as well as proceeds from sales of the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Girls Calendar during the month of November.

An open to the public  slot tournament will be held at Hard Rock Cafe Tampa on Friday, November 20 from 3 pm to 7 pm. The entry fee for the tournament will be $10 and 50 percent of those proceeds will be donated to the charity and 50 percent will be added to the prize pool. Tickets can be purchased at the Rock Shop beforehand or upon entry to the event.

Portions of this article were contributed by Metropolitian Ministries – Jonathan Morey