I’m here celebrating the season at Kentucky Kingdom’s brand-new Christmas event – Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom!
This spectacular event is the largest of its kind in Kentucky AND boasts the largest snow tubing hill in the state! It’s been an incredible hit with guests of all ages, including me!
As 2024 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on this truly magical time of year. The Christmas and holiday season is all about bringing families closer together and cherishing time with the people we love. And no one brings that to life better than you, our incredible hosts.
At Herschend, we truly shine this time of year. Across all our brands, families gather to make memories they’ll hold onto for years.
Whether it’s seeing the wonder in a child’s eyes during a light show, sharing a laugh with Scuba Santa, or simply enjoying time together in a beautiful setting, every one of those moments happens because of the love and kindness you show each other, and our guests every day.
This year, the impact of your efforts has been extraordinary, and the results speak for themselves:
These incredible results are all because of you. When you lead with love and live our purpose every day, you make our brands spaces where joy thrives, memories are made, and families come closer together.
You are what makes Herschend unique, which is why our guests come back year after year, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together this year.
As we look ahead to 2025, I know we’ll continue to live out our Herschend Heartspitality culture by showing love in all we do every day.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
-Andrew Wexler
Herschend CEO
Our Heartspitality culture equation starts with LOVE. An unconditional love that comes from our actions. Love at Herschend is choosing to behave in a manner that makes everyone feel welcome, valued, and respected. Leading with love in all we do is the foundation our founders planted to grow Herschend more than 70 years ago, and it continues to guide our actions today.
Share It Forward provides peace of mind to many Herschend hosts throughout the holiday season. It assists more than 1,000 hosts annually, and for many, the help is needed most during the holidays. Thanks to the kindness of donors like you, Share It Forward has helped families keep the heat on, have a roof over their heads, and provide a safe, healthy place for their children to celebrate the holidays with their families.
Please consider making a year-end donation to help Share It Forward continue its mission of supporting the Herschend community.
| Donate through payroll deduction | Make a credit card donation |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Adventure Aquarium recently had the joy of being featured on NBC10’s Wednesday’s Child segment, a heartwarming initiative dedicated to helping individuals in the foster care system find loving families. In this special segment, Adventure Aquarium welcomed Joshua, a 20-year-old ocean enthusiast with a deep love for marine life, hoping to find a forever family to share in his passion. Watch the clip to learn more about Joshua and his incredible journey!
For the fourth year, the Vancouver Aquarium was proud to partner with the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau for a toy drive. Aquarium guests have made it possible for nearly 3,300 plush toys to be donated to the region's needy children. Executive Director of the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau, Chris Bayliss, said, “The support we receive from community partners, like the Vancouver Aquarium, helps us bring smiles to the faces of children and families. By hosting their annual toy drive, the Vancouver Aquarium creates a giving opportunity for their customers and demonstrates their willingness to give back to those in their community.”
The true meaning of Christmas is all about giving, and this year, Wild Adventures is committed to giving back to our communities in meaningful ways. Returning for another year, the United Way Christmas Tree Forest at Wild Adventures features tree stands designed by local nonprofits, each reflecting their unique mission. Guests voted for their favorite tree by scanning a QR code to donate. Guests also "rounded up" their purchases online to support these programs, which fund over 44 essential services in 11 South Georgia counties.
In November, the leaders of The Dollywood Company handed out an estimated 1,980 turkeys and lasagnas to Hosts for the holidays. This event would not have been possible without the support of culinary, maintenance, parking, special events, house and grounds, and security teams. The planning, teamwork, and coordination behind the scenes were intentional to ensure that this event was executed with excellence.
Callaway Resort & Gardens’ leadership team also handed out turkeys to hosts for the holidays, with the remaining turkeys given to community members in need.
Pink Jeep proudly supported National Wreaths Across America Day on December 14. Several Jeep tour guides and hosts participated in the wreath-laying ceremony and donated 20 wreaths to be placed in honor of U.S. servicemembers. A total of 12,000 wreaths were laid at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery that day.
In the last 15 years, WAA has grown by leaps and bounds, with over 4,600 participating locations nationwide, more than 6,000 sponsorship groups, and in 2022, placed over 2.7 million wreaths in total—all in the mission to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
The Harlem Globetrotters welcomed back over 70 coaches and players along with 4 Rookies at their annual training camp held in Atlanta, GA, from December 9th to December 12th. At training camp, players can showcase their skills and build team chemistry before they hit the road. Alongside the tour, Harlem Globetrotters in all tour groups make an effort to make player appearances worldwide. The most recent was Lucius ‘Too Tall’ Winston’s PA day in Boston, where he visited Nashoba Learning Group, a school dedicated to kids on the spectrum.
The Globetrotters will be traveling all around the world with 145 countries and 300+ cities on their itinerary this season. The tour kicks off on December 26 at TD Garden in Boston and PPG Arena in Pittsburgh. Expect to see high-flying, family-friendly action every show as they face off against their rival, the Washington Generals. As this marks the 99th season of the historic Harlem Globetrotters franchise, the organization looks to build momentum and continue to innovate as its centennial season approaches.
Kentucky Kingdom hosts worked tirelessly to transform the park into a winter wonderland for the launch of Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom last month. It’s the park’s first-ever Christmas event, with 40 unique holiday-themed experiences, including Blizzard Bluff, a 175-foot-tall snow tubing hill covered in real snow! The event also boasts 1.5 million lights, more than 300 Christmas trees, Santa meet-and-greets, and more.
Newport Aquarium helped Emily Davis and her six-year-old son on a long quest to come face to face with a Giant Pacific Octopus. Emily says her son is obsessed with the eight-armed, three-hearted, nine-brained animal. After being to multiple aquariums in search of seeing one in person, she decided to drive three hours to Newport Aquarium to find one.
“Seeing the octopus follow my son on the glass for six whole minutes was an experience we’ll never forget. My son had happy tears for the first time in his life,” said Emily in a Facebook post, “Thank you for creating an amazing exhibit showcasing these magnificent creatures. We will definitely be back!”
As the spirited “ghosts” of A Dickens’ Christmas Carol at Silver Dollar City dazzle generations of guests on stage, there’s an equally enchanting “show” behind the curtain.
“We put so much care into this show every year because we know it’s a family tradition,” said Kaitlin Nelson, the actress who plays the Ghost of Christmas Present. “For of lot of them, Christmas doesn’t start until they see our show. We don’t take that lightly.”
“This is the show that made me fall in love with musical theater again,” Haley says. “I was working professionally and began feeling drained and disillusioned with the industry. I wasn’t having any fun. Then, I got this role. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had on stage. I get to share this all with the best group of people.”
“This show is so special to so many people, and we think of that every time the curtains open,” says Brad Baker, who plays Bob Cratchit. “It’s as choreographed backstage as it is on stage. We know each other well! We know what path each other is taking and how the set pieces move. That makes for a super special experience that keeps us coming back each year to be with this family.”
Read the Full StoryThe Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society recently issued its first year-end report. The report is filled with stories and videos of rescues and rehabilitations from 2024. The stories in this report reflect the collective effort that makes the work possible, including the rescue of Moira, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle.
Moira was rescued on February 4 in Pedder Bay, British Columbia. The VAMMR team stabilized the severely hypothermic sea turtle, whose core temperature was only 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 degrees Fahrenheit) when she was admitted. At the time of her rescue, she was only the second reported sighting of a loggerhead sea turtle in British Columbia. Loggerhead turtles are typically found in tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Pacific Oceans regions. Local marine biologist Dr. Anna Hall was the first to respond to this rescue. VAMMR is the only facility in Western Canada that can provide the unique care that this animal requires. VAMMR, SeaWorld San Diego Rescue, and Turtles Fly Too worked together to transport her back to the warm waters of San Diego last month.
View the ReportAdventure Aquarium is excited to share that their resident lesser Madagascar tenrecs, Jasper and Ruby, recently welcomed four healthy babies. Tenrecs are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP), a program that helps to enhance the genetic health and diversity of populations in zoos and aquariums. Once the babies are ready, they will be transferred to other zoos and aquariums to help continue their species’ conservation.
The Vancouver Tourism Awards Breakfast Gala showcased the incredible people working in Vancouver's tourism industry. The Vancouver Aquarium is proud to support these awards as a gold sponsor. The Aquarium received 201 nominations for 91 employees and volunteers. What an incredible achievement!
Kentucky Kingdom teamed up with Norton Children’s Hospital to spread holiday cheer with a toy drive and donation of a portion of ticket sales to benefit the hospital’s patients. Kentucky Kingdom has been collecting toy donations from guests and hosts for children under the care of Norton Children’s Hospital and setting aside a portion of ticket sales to contribute to the hospital. Representatives from Kentucky Kingdom delivered gifts to patients at Norton Children’s earlier this week with the help of Santa Claus! Sarah Worrell, Kentucky Kingdom’s General Manager, also presented a $10,000 donation.
