Carowinds Cares Community Outreach Program

With the program Carowinds Cares, which supports youth and families in our community to ensure a bright and stable future for the Carolinas, Carowinds’ associates continue to make others smile with philanthropy.

Carowinds is proud to give back to our community through in-kind donations for charitable and non-profit organizations and fundraising special events. We target causes that specifically benefit the health, welfare, and success of youths and families, education, and the community.

Quarterly, Carowinds’ associates volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina serving a total of 24 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina and have made several donations in times of need. In May, Carowinds received a group volunteer partner award from the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.

Each April, Make-A-Wish chapters across the nation celebrate World Wish Day, the anniversary of the organization’s first wish. For over a decade, the Central and Western North Carolina chapter has held the World Wish Day celebration at Carowinds. Local Wish families, select donors and community partners spent the day enjoying the many rides, attractions, and live entertainment at Carowinds. The culinary team created a new signature menu item, the Blue Unicorn Shake, in honor of World Wish Day. During the month of April, leading up to World Wish Day on April 30, all the proceeds from the Blue Unicorn Shake sales were donated to Make-A-Wish of Central and Western North Carolina.

A Kid Again's Central Carolinas Chapter hosted a birthday bash at Carowinds in April for children living with life-threatening conditions alongside their families. Adventure Guides and guests had the chance to celebrate their birthday in the most thrilling way possible during the first anniversary of A Kid Again’s Central Carolinas Chapter, which currently serves more than 900 families throughout the region. During SCarowinds, teens and their families from A Kid Again participated in Scareshool, and were able to see behind-the-scenes how monsters are created, how costumes are prepared, and were given an exclusive tour of the new maze Paranormal Inc. WinterFest at Carowinds is a magical time, and for 3,200 guests of A Kid Again’s Central Carolinas Chapter, the first weekend in December was a chance to take a timeout from illness and enjoy a holiday. The second annual Holiday Adventure at Winterfest attracted more people than any other event in the chapter’s history.

In December, Carowinds also hosted the Adventures and Wishes Holiday 5K and Family Fun Run in partnership with Make-A-Wish Central and Western North Carolina and A Kid Again Central Carolinas. The 5K and Family Fun Run course allowed participants to experience unique and entertaining routes throughout Carowinds’ WinterFest.

As part of the Give Kids The World Village's 2022 Summer Road Trip in June, Carowinds hosted alumni wish families with exclusive early ride time on selected attractions and a variety of fun-filled activities. The event was designed to help Give Kids The World alumni Wish families the ability to reconnect, reminisce, and relive moments from Wish trips while promoting camaraderie among families with shared experiences.

In March, May, and August, The Big Red Bus Blood Drive hosted a Carowinds blood drive for associates. Carowinds partnered with OneBlood for a SCarowinds-themed blood drive in September, which included a donation incentive for donors to receive SCarowinds admission.

In 2022, the food and beverage department provided a meal on the fourth Sunday of every month, complete with meal delivery, to the Children's Attention Home (CAH) providing nurturing care and life-changing services for youth and families in need. In addition, Carowinds has donated a security system, office supplies, and Christmas gifts to the Rock Hill, South Carolina-based organization.

In October, Carowinds donated to the Seacrest Studios at Levine Children’s Hospital as part of the continued partnership. A Carowinds’ adventure video, an in-room TV programming for pediatric patients, played at all children’s hospitals across the country that have a Seacrest Studios and at the Ryan Seacrest Foundation conference. In the holiday-spirit, Carowinds Cares’ donated toys and toiletries for families at Levine Children’s Hospital.

Throughout the year, Carowinds Cares made charitable contributions to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (October), Miracle Park, located in Rock Hill, S.C., (October), Pilgrims' Inn (October and December), and sponsored the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte’s Buddy Walk in October.

In addition, associates continue to donate to the U.S. Hunger Relief Organization, Feeding America, through the Cedar Fair initiative.

Carowinds proudly supports a wide array of non-profits in the community each year, including, but not limited to:

• A Kid Again - Serving Children with a Life-Threatening Condition
• Give Kids the World, Passport for Kids Program
• Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina
• Seacrest Studios | Atrium Health

In addition, at Outfitters, the associate store, all proceeds go towards Carowinds Cares.

Carowinds’ mission is to make people smile. We bring families together through the shared experiences of thrill rides, the splashes at Carolina Harbor Waterpark, the delights of fun experiences, and all the things that make memories. We are dedicated to supporting youth and families in our community to ensure a bright and stable future for the Carolinas, and we proudly provide more than $375,000 in in-kind contributions and goodwill efforts with non-profit charitable organizations and schools each year.