Carnival Ship Hoists Turkey, Make Thanksgiving Food Donation

Cruise ship 'Carnival Breeze' hoists 50' inflatable turkey aloft while Carnival Cruise Line donate 137,500 meals to 'Feeding South Florida'.

The 1,250-pound nylon turkey — wearing a straw beach hat and colorful Hawaiian shirt – was hoisted aboard the ship in Miami in time for Thanksgiving Day holiday fesivities. The giant fowl will sit 14 stories above the waterline and gaze toward nearby McArthur Causeway until just before the ship makes its inaugural sailing from Miami on Thanksgiving Day.

In addition, Carnival is to present a charitable donation to Feeding South Florida that will provide 137,500 meals to families in need throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.

Pembroke Pines-based Feeding South Florida is the largest food bank in the state and a member of Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2011, Feeding South Florida distributed more than 30 million pounds of food valued at almost $50 million within the South Florida community.

The ship, which debuted this summer in Europe, brings on-board innovations including a variety of new dining, bar and entertainment options that are part of the company's groundbreaking $500 million fleetwide Fun Ship 2.0 product-enhancement program.