33 Hotels in Europe, Africa and the Middle East Raised over $200k For Charity

Manama, Bahrain, 4th July 2006 - Teams from 33 Starwood Hotels across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, raised a magnificent $236,776 for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, by cycling 360km from Amsterdam to Brussels over the weekend of the 2nd to 4th June.

The money raised by the Starwood EAME Bicycle Challenge will support a UNICEF project which helps youth clubs in Ethiopia to set up their own businesses, providing them with regular work and an income out of which they can give financial assistance to local orphaned and vulnerable children. In addition, by selling their goods and services to local people the youth clubs will make everyone in the community aware of the plight of the children they are trying to help, making it easier to bring about an increase in the care provided to children in the community itself. Roeland Vos, President Europe, Middle East and Africa, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, said, “This fantastic fundraising achievement for UNICEF is a great example of team work from our hotels, from Dublin to Dubai, Stockholm to Sardinia. Through the efforts of our cyclists over 6000 Ethiopian children who are orphaned or vulnerable will be provided with basics such as food and clothes, and be able to attend school. In addition, 600 members of youth groups will benefit from employment opportunities, skills training and an earned income. This project also means that we can give something back to the local community in Addis Ababa where we operate a hotel - the Sheraton Addis Ababa.”

Sir Roger Moore KBE, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, officially started the Bike Ride, at 11am on Saturday 3rd June, cheering on the 63 teams and 378 participants, from hotels representing most of Starwood’s hotel brands such as the Le Méridien Hotel des Indes, The Hague; the Westin Palace Madrid; the Sheraton Lisbon; the St Regis Grand Rome; the Gritti Palace – a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice and the Sheraton Four Points Brussels; as well as teams from Starwood’s EAME headquarters in Brussels,. Each participating hotel sent a team of six brave volunteers to take part in the task.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has supported UNICEF for over 11 years, since the inception of the unique Check Out for Children initiative, which now operates in more than 210 Starwood hotels all over the world, and which has raised US$14 million worldwide for use by UNICEF in immunising children against the six major childhood killer diseases. This translates into more than 900,000 children who have been immunised thanks to the generosity of Starwood guests.

Check Out for Children specifically raises money for UNICEF’s international immunisation work through the addition of US$1 or its equivalent in foreign currency to the guest's bill as he or she checks out of the hotel. For each US$1 million raised over 55,000 children can be immunised against tuberculosis, measles and whooping cough. For more information about UNICEF and the COFC partnership visit www.unicef.org.uk

tags: UNICEF, hospitality, starwood, children