The Osceola Council on Aging and Mercedes-Benz of South Orlando have partnered to raffle a 2021 Mercedes GLA-Class Luxury SUV to benefit the Council’s social service programs which enable self-sufficiency for seniors, disabled adults, and disadvantaged families, as well as funding for the OCOA’s expansive Meals on Wheels initiatives.

The Meals on Wheels program has played a vital role in our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It has allowed the OCOA to deliver over 440,000 meals to more than 2,500 Osceola County seniors just in 2020 alone. In addition to these efforts, the OCOA’s food pantry program also distributed over 1.8 million pounds of food last year to thousands of families in need.

“The Osceola Council on Aging receives more requests for nutrition services than any other of our social service programs offered,” said Wendy Ford, Osceola Council on Aging President/CEO. “With the pandemic hitting Central Florida especially hard, our Meals on Wheels and food pantry funding capabilities have been overwhelmingly affected.”

According to Ford, the Council has been required to be creative in its fundraising efforts while finding new and innovative ways to attain donations to support the general program demand for Osceola seniors and families. One of those creative strategies is the OCOA’s second annual car raffle for a brand-new luxury vehicle.

“This year, we are proud to partner with Mercedes-Benz of South Orlando, and excited to raffle a 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class SUV,” said Ford. “This raffle will help supplement a portion of funds from the many fundraisers we have been unable to host due to the ongoing, and unfortunate pandemic. It’s a win-win!! The raffle will support needed donations and one lucky donor wins a car,” added Ford. “We are fortunate to have many generous local business partners like Mercedes-Benz of South Orlando who do their part in supporting our community while empowering our mission to help support Osceola’s senior population.”

The winner of the 2021 Mercedes GLA-Class SUV will own a beautifully designed luxury SUV; four-wheel drive with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The modestly sized GLA SUV has been redesigned for the new model year with more power than ever before. The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA offers more space in the front, rear, and trunk than on previous models to safely store gear. This new compact SUV also comes standard with several attractive technologies which were previously optional, including a completely new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Voice Control multimedia system and a digital cockpit with two 7-inch displays.

“We are proud to partner with our local community doing our part to empower the mission of Osceola Council on Aging,” said Justin Saavedra, BDC director, Mercedes-Benz of South Orlando.

The Council On Aging has launched a New Year’s Special with raffle tickets now available for $10 each, with numerous multi-ticket specials. The drawing is scheduled for December 31, 2021.

To purchase tickets, go to https://osceolagenerations.org/product/1-raffle-ticket/. Credit card purchases are preferred, or a check for ticket purchases can be made to the Osceola County Council on Aging, Inc., Attn: Marketing Department, 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee, FL, 34744; please note “Mercedes” on the check. Important: the winner of the car raffle need not be present to win or live in the state of Florida.

For more information on this Mercedes-Benz car raffle initiative, contact Belinda Olivera at Osceola Council on Aging 407-933-9534 or email oliverab@osceola-coa.com