Local citrus growers and packers will donate navel oranges and ruby red grapefruit to support the community wide work of United Way of Indian River County for the 17th annual Holiday Citrus Sale. Orders can be placed at the United Way Center, 1836 14^th Ave., Vero Beach, Tuesday thru Friday, 12/3-12/6, and Monday thru Thursday, 12/9-12/12, from 10am to 3pm.

Sales were available at bank parking lots in previous years but all orders are now processed  through the United Way office. “There will be no lines, more personal attention to each order, and overall more efficiency”, explained Faith Frazier, United Way coordinator of the event. Fruit will be shipped UPS on December 13.

Rusty Banack, Quality Fruit Packers, and Scott Lambeth, Golden River Fruit Company, have organized and executed this annual sale since its founding. “We’ve found this to be a great way for the agricultural community to give back”, said Lambeth. Local growers and packers involved include: Fellsmere Farms, Green River Packing, Golden River Fruit Company, Hogan & Sons, IMG Citrus, Indian River Exchange Packers, LeRoy Smith, Oslo Citrus Growers Association, Premier Citrus Packers, The Packers of Indian River, Quality Fruit Packers of Indian River, Riverfront Groves, and United Indian River Packers. “We are all aware of people in need in this community and are happy to join in and do our part,” said Banack.

“We have so many return buyers at this sale,” commented Frazier, “our snowbirds, especially, like to share some Florida sunshine with their loved ones. We can’t thank our agricultural community enough.”

For more information, call the United Way office at 772-567-8900.