For Immediate Release
ARIZONA BOYS & GIRLS CLUB MEMBERS ELIGIBLE FOR
COMPLIMENTARY FAMILY VACATION PROGRAM
Sponsored by Benchmark Hospitality International,
Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, Boy & Girls Clubs of America
SCOTTSDALE – (September 2009) – Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center and Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading hotel management company, have announced a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) on a Hometown Hospitality™ initiative providing complimentary vacations to deserving families. Benchmark operates Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, which is participating in the family vacations program for the Arizona region. Benchmark operates hotels and resorts coast-to-coast and in Hawaii.
Through the partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Benchmark Hospitality’s hotels and resorts, including the Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, will provide up to 30 families across the nation complimentary Family Road Trip Vacations in areas where Benchmark has properties and BGCA has local Clubs. Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center is providing three five-night vacations to deserving families in Arizona.
These vacations for a family of four at Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center will include guest accommodations, three meals each day, full access to recreation amenities, and access to several local destination attractions as well. Also, $100 in gas cards will be provided, compliments of Shell Oil Company, to each family to cover transportation costs.
How Arizona Boys & Girls Club Families Can Apply
Interested families who may have thought a trip was not possible this year, and who are affiliated with the Arizona Boys & Girls Club, are invited to complete a brief application form available online at www.benchmarkhospitality.com/BGCAfamilyvacation by October 4th. On the application, families are asked to include their story in 200-500 words for the consideration by BGCA.
Arizona Boys & Girls Club will review each family’s story and forward final recommendations to Benchmark Hospitality International and Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center. Families will be informed of their selection for a vacation in late November.
Since giving is as important as receiving, as part of the Family Road Trip Vacations Hometown Hospitality initiative, Benchmark Hospitality will request each family participate in four hours of light service to their local community, side-by-side with the Benchmark Hospitality staff.
About Benchmark’s Hometown Hospitality Program
The “Hometown Hospitality Caring for Our Communities” program advances Benchmark’s philanthropic endeavors through employee volunteer programs, in-kind donations and community outreach activities. Benchmark believes that responsible corporate citizenship recognizes the inalienable link between a healthy and vibrant community and the health and well being of a company and its employees. Hometown Hospitality Caring for Our Communities encourages and enables Benchmark employees globally to seek leading roles in the communities in which they live and work and the world community as well by supporting social, educational, and cultural programs, either through property-developed initiatives or through partnering with existing services.
For the first time since Benchmark launched Hometown Hospitality in 2004, the company is partnering with a national youth-serving organization – Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Based in Atlanta with local chapters across the country, BGCA is one of the nation’s most respected youth organizations, providing quality after-school programming to young people, ages 6 to 18.
Established in 1906, Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides a network of more than 4,300 community-based facilities with caring youth development professionals offering award-winning programs emphasizing academic success, healthy lifestyles and citizenship. Through programs such as SMART Moves, Power Hour, Club Tech and Youth of the Year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, its dedicated staff and a vast network of volunteers help young people successfully navigate the path to a productive, healthy, and satisfying adulthood. Benchmark Hospitality is participating with 13 local BGCA chapters in locations where the company operates hotels and resorts, including Arizona.
“We are excited about this national effort to help Boys & Girls Club members and their families have a wonderful vacation,” said Burt Cabañas, chairman and CEO of Benchmark Hospitality International, “and we are pleased to be partnering with such an impressive organization. Boys & Girls Clubs fill the needs of kids for healthy adult interaction, mentoring and positive role-models.”
Benchmark's internal champion for Hometown Hospitality, Vice President and General Manager Laura Neumann, who is Board Chairperson for the Pikes Peak region Boys & Girls Club added, "Our Hometown Hospitality initiative is predicated on the knowledge that for many, the word 'hometown' evokes images of safe neighborhoods, close families and friends, and kids without a care playing catch. But this is not everyone's experience.” Ms. Neumann continued with, “This is why Boys & Girls Clubs of America is so important -- because they step up and provide a safe environment where kids can have fun, be themselves, engage in activities that channel youthful energy into challenging pursuits.”
"We are extremely grateful to Benchmark Hospitality for offering such a wonderful opportunity for our Club members and their families," said Boys & Girls Clubs of America President/CEO Roxanne Spillett. "We know that strong, healthy families are critical to the young people we serve and these complimentary vacations will provide stress-free, fun-filled times for both."
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has helped kids "Be Great," providing hope and opportunity for those who need it most. Today, more than 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.5 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military bases worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
About Benchmark Hospitality International
Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Hotels™. The privately held company, launched in 1980, is a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers. Benchmark Hospitality is a worldwide organization operating properties in major metropolitan and resort destinations. Benchmark's international headquarters is located in The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, with regional offices in New Jersey and Connecticut. International offices are located in Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For the location of Benchmark’s properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.
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Benchmark Hospitality Contact: Ken Ellens
Ken Ellens Communications
201-758-2864 / 201-758-2865-Fax
KenEllens@aol.com
CONTACT: Sally Cooper
Sally Cooper and Company
(480) 946-9446; fax: 718-7414
Sally@sallycooperandcompany.com
