It takes an industry
Maybe it’s the camaraderie we all feel with the down economy or maybe it’s just contagious, but the ways organizations are reaching out to help those in need, giving time and resources, are multiplying. Since the earthquake that shook Haiti, meetings, hospitality and tourism industries are pumping out ways to get involved. Here are some of the more recent efforts:
Meetings contributions
The Search Foundation supports event professionals undergoing crises through the donations and sponsorships of fellow industry organizations and colleagues. Recipients of the nonprofit’s donations receive up to $2,500 in a calendar year from the organization to help with everything from battling cancer to losing all of their belongings in Katrina. A benefit hosted in New Orleans in January raised $112,000 through donations and a silent auction. In true event planner-style, a new electronic bidding technology by IML, an audience response system, was used for bidding.
Several destinations allow meeting planners to make a difference simply by meeting in their city. Through San Diego North’s “Meet Here. Make a Difference” program, $3 from each room night fee will be donated to a meeting planner’s charity of choice or the bureau’s designated partner charity, Outdoor Outreach, when groups book at participating hotels before July 1, 2011.
Pass it on
Disney’s “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion gives an individual who volunteers with any organization in its HandsOn Network a free ticket to a Disney park. Travelers can contribute to global health causes through Massivegood, an online nonprofit community created by the Millennium Foundation. Micro-contributions can be made when booking flights, hotel rooms or rental cars on web- sites including Travelocity, Accor and American Express Business Travel.
Haiti relief
Industry leaders continue to raise funds and awareness months after the devastating Haiti earthquake. In addition to making donations to the Red Cross, the Greater Miami CVB declared February “Miami Tourism Cares for Haiti” month to take advantage of the Super Bowl in town; the bureau also gathered linen donations from hotels and clothing from tourists.
The Harris Rosen Foundation, begun by the founder of Orlando-based Rosen Hotels and Resorts, continues to collect goods and donations to aid the Haiti effort. The foundation is pushing and funding a long-term solution for housing called the Little Haiti House, which it presented at the Central Florida Home and Garden show in March. Rosen wants to manufacture 350- to 700-sq.-ft. metal-frame homes in Central Florida and ship them in crates to be assembled in Haiti by Haitian construction teams.
Benchmark Hospitality responded when the earthquake affected one of its own. Mike VanDuzer, a longtime employee of Benchmark Hospitality, and his wife were awaiting the final steps in the adoption of a young girl from Haiti when the earthquake hit. Benchmark announced they would match employee donations dollar for dollar to Haiti relief through the American Red Cross. At press time, they had raised more than $25,000. Lansdowne Resort, one of the properties for which VanDuzer worked, contributed almost $2,000 to the effort. The adoption was accelerated and the VanDuzers’ daughter now lives with them in Colorado Springs.
