ILoveRides Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Knott’s Berry Farm has teamed up with Susan G. Komen to raise money for breast cancer awareness, services, and research. Starting today (February 1st) through March 31, 2014, you can purchase a special “Pink Ticket” online at Knotts.com and limited edition “pink” merchandise in the park. A portion of the sales from the tickets and merchandise will benefit Susan G. Komen Orange County. Knott’s kicked off the promotion by donating $25,000 to Susan G. Komen, and hosting a press conference breakfast with 50 breast cancer survivors and co-survivors in attendance. Check out our coverage of the event below: We’re at Knott’s Berry Farm with David and Gertrude! Outside the park there are “Knott’s Berry Farm for the Cure” logos advertising the promotion. Once inside you’re greeted with a photo op under Silver Bullet. The big pink circle is magnetic - more on that later! Gertrude loves raising breast cancer awareness! It was a lovely morning to be at Knott’s! There were clear blue skies (and roller coasters) as far as the eye could see. Inside the Boardwalk Ballroom I was greeted by Snoopy and Lucy, both dressed up in pink! And in true Knott’s fashion, there was an amazing feast. But they had a special surprise in store! Lots of the food was vegan and/or gluten free! As a vegan, this was basically a dream come true. I never thought I’d see “tempeh bacon” at an amusement park! Not to mention at a park that’s famous for serving chicken. So cool! They totally went out of their way to make sure there were healthy options and food for everyone! Way to go Knott’s! For people on a gluten free diet there were lots of things as well, such as gluten free pancakes and bagels. And for more traditional eaters, there were omelet stations with all the toppings you could possibly want. This may be the first time I’ve been able to eat a real “meal” at a media event. I was a happy camper! They also made a beautiful pink ribbon ice sculpture for the event. This is the first time as a vegan at an amusement park that I haven’t felt like an afterthought. Thanks so much Knott’s for being inclusive of everyone! During the breakfast Knott’s General Manager Raffi Kaprelyan came on stage to welcome everyone to the event. Raffi introduced some breast cancer survivors and co-survivors who wanted to tell their stories. The real stories were a vivid reminder of the seriousness of breast cancer and the importance of raising awareness and funds to help combat it. Hearing each person’s story was really emotional. There were also some touching moments. After breakfast things grew more lighthearted as the breast cancer survivors posed outside the Boardwalk Ballroom. We then all walked towards Pony Express for some pink shirt ERT. Gertrude began placing pink ribbons on everything to raise awareness. Pony Express warmed up as the line of survivors eagerly awaited their ride. I heard many of the women say that they were scared of roller coasters, but compared to cancer they said Pony Express should be a walk in the park. They boarded the coaster and before they knew it they were off! Whee! It’s great seeing a roller coaster used not just for fun, but also for a great cause! Away they go! And back they come! Smooooooth stop! And with that the event concluded and we were free to wander the park. I decided to take a lap around the park to see all the construction progress and also take a look at the “pink” merchandise. First up, a look at the Calico Mine Ride, which is currently undergoing a massive renovation on par with last year’s Log Ride renovation. Gertrude began placing pink ribbons around the construction site. Raising awareness is one thing, but that’s a bit ridiculous Gertrude! Clearly the renovation is well underway. I can’t wait to ride this when it re-opens! Windseeker is long gone and has now become Plantseeker. Considering how much of an eye-sore this area could have been, Knott’s did a great job of making it look nice. There’s also a new poster displayed by the railing that says “So Many Memories” below a picture of Walter and Cordelia Knott. Surrounding the photo are old ride posters and historic photos of Knott’s. It’s another neat way they’ve found to honor the park’s history. In Fiesta Village many of the generic looking red tables that you can see in the background have been replaced with wrought iron tables and chairs. My picture doesn’t do them justice, but the new tables and chairs were a nice improvement throughout the area. Over in Camp Snoopy work has begun on the Camp Snoopy High Sierra Renovation. Timberline Twister is getting re-themed. Sierra Sidewinder is still open, but the old entrance is blocked off while the pathway outside is being enhanced. Sierra Sidewinder also just got a fresh coat of paint and looks as good as new. Shiny new paint hotness. Guess who else got some love? Yep, Silver Bullet has been almost completely re-painted as well. New hotness vs. old and busted. There’s only a small bit more left to paint - I’d say it’s 98% complete. It looks great! Over in ghost town Valentine’s Day / Pink decorations are up. Looking good! The photo machine from Santa’s Christmas Cabin is out in Ghost Town now and has been themed for the “Knott’s Berry Farm for the Cure” promotion. Don’t forget to stop by and get a picture of yourself. Or if that’s too technologically advanced for you, you could always buy a disposable film camera. I had no idea they still made these! Pink flowers abound throughout Ghost Town. These flowers say “We are raising breast cancer awareness!” Gertrude would be proud. Here’s a look at some of the “pink” merchandise that’s available. These magnets can be purchased and placed on the display at the front of the park. You can write a name on the magnet of a loved one who has been affected by breast cancer to honor them. Some more of the limited edition merchandise. There’s lots of stuff that you can buy to help out the good cause! Blankets. Pins. There are even hats for cancer & chemotherapy patients. Back at the front of the park people have already begun placing their magnets up. But the board is still pretty empty - it needs you! Show your support by purchasing a “pink” admission ticket, “pink” merchandise, or a “pink” magnet. Hopefully this board is completely filled up by March 31! Thanks Knott’s for throwing such a great event and for inviting TPR to attend! We were blown away not just by your generosity in support of Susan G. Komen, but also your inclusiveness of all diets in the food served at the event, your upkeep of the park, and the continual honoring of the parks history - from a little-noticed poster to another multi-million dollar renovation of a star attraction. Everything just keeps getting better and better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Very cool of the park to do this. Too bad they weren't serving real food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILoveRides Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) ^ They had regular food as well! Edited February 2, 2014 by ILoveRides Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I'm impressed with this event! Good to see parks donating money and helping organizations like this. Thanks for the great report, David! Loved the construction pics and how much Gertrude contributed to it all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWFan Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Looks like a great event. I love when parks use their resources to support charities. My home park, SFSTL supports St. Louis Children's Hospital raising over $500,000 annually. Hopefully Susan G. Komen can use their ever-increasing prevalence to realign back to research and finding a cure instead of some other things they've been up to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GO MUFC!!! Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) Fantastic report.It's great what Knott's is doing.Plus, they care about vegans. Edited February 3, 2014 by GO MUFC!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 It's good to see Gertrude striking a manly pose for breast cancer awareness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Very cool report. Nice to see Knott's supporting a very worthy cause. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alilstronger Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 It seems like it was an awesome event. Its good they had such an array of food. Not being a vegan or vegetarian I would have loved to try all the different foods. The women seem like they had a good time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Stratosphere Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Thank you for sharing this awesome report, totally love events like this! On a side note, Silver Bullet looks great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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