MIAMI – Carnival Cruise Line and the Houston Texans teamed up to host the first-ever Summer Kickoff event yesterday with a variety of fun activities for kids at the Havard Boys & Girls Club in Houston.
The event also included a $10,000 donation from Carnival Cruise Line to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. Additionally, for every Houston Texans Bear sold at a Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the Houston area during the month of July, a portion of the proceeds will go to the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Carnival is the Official Cruise Line of the Houston Texans as well as the state’s number one cruise line with three year-round ships carrying more than 650,000 passengers annually from the Port of Galveston – more than any other cruise operator.
During the event, Houston Texans players Jadeveon Clowney and Johnathan Joseph, hosted a variety of activities that taught gridiron fundamentals to kids. The youngsters also had a chance to create their own furry friends with an on-siteBuild-A-Bear Workshop experience, part of the many family-friendly activities available on Carnival’s ships which are expected to carry a record 800,000 children this year – the most in cruising.
Kids also got their face painted and satisfied their sweet tooth with delicious goodies from Carnival’s shipboard confection store Cherry on Top. Photo opportunities and meet and greets with Houston Texans Cheerleaders were available, as well. Participants could track their activities with a Summer Kickoff passport book and those who completed all the tasks received a special prize.
“Our first-ever Summer Kickoff was a great way to team up with two of our favorite partners – the Houston Texans and Build-A-Bear Workshop – to bring some fun and put smiles on the faces of some special kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Many thanks to Jadeveon and Johnathan for helping create some wonderful memories for these kids and their families,” she added.
”It’s always fun to participate in events where I can bring my son and daughter,” said Joseph. “Carnival has done a great job bringing to life the activities their guests can experience on ship right here at this event. My son had a great time participating in gridiron activities while my daughter loved the Build-A-Bear Workshop activity – and all the candy, of course!”
”We are very grateful for the support of Carnival Cruise Line and the Houston Texans,” said Kevin Hattery, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. “Carnival’s donation and the sale of Texans-themed Build-A-Bear furry friends will go a long way to support the many activities we offer the kids who participate in our after-school program.”
Carnival operates three ships year-round from Galveston – Carnival Triumph, Carnival Freedom and Carnival Breeze which together operate more than 200 four- to 14-day voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida, Central America and other destinations.
