Orange County

Major events used to support food drive for those struggling with unemployment

ORLANDO, Fla. — People lined up outside of Camping World Stadium on Saturday for Monster Jam. Organizers said it’s one of the first large-scale events outside of sports to take place since the pandemic began.

Volunteers hoped to capitalize on that by asking attendees to bring food donations.

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The food drive is a reminder that life still isn’t going back to normal for many.

The food collections on Saturday were not as much as organizers hoped.

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One year into the pandemic, the live entertainment business’s recovery is still sluggish.

Orange and Osceola counties have some of the highest unemployment rates in the state, with the largest filings from the accommodations, food services industry, arts and entertainment.

Watch: Looking back and ahead: How outlooks have changed since talks of the pandemic started in Central Florida

See the full report in the video above.