Chick-fil-A opens on Sunday to donate food to Orlando blood donors

ORLANDO, Fla. (WFTV) – Workers at a Chick-fil-A location in Orlando parted with tradition Sunday by preparing food for people waiting in line to donate blood in response to the weekend shooting that left 49 dead and 53 wounded in the Florida city, according to media reports.

A handful of workers passed out sandwiches and iced tea as thousands of donors answered the call to give blood in the wake of the shooting at Pulse, a popular gay nightclub. Officials have called the shooting a terrorist attack.

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A is famously closed on Sundays, a day founder Truett Cathy believed should be spent with family.

The outpouring from the Orlando Chick-fil-A workers also is notable because the chain has had a strained relationship with the gay community after CEO Dan Cathy made comments opposing gay marriage.

A post to the store’s Facebook page said, “A few of our awesome team decided to go to work on a Sunday and make some food for people waiting in line to donate blood. We love our city and love the people in our community.”

The store is on University and Rouse Road, according to reports.

The post ended with the hashtag “prayfororlando.”

In a comment under the post, the Chick-fil-A of University Boulevard at Rouse Road says they partnered with some other Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Orlando area.