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| October 2009 |
Because You Care
The official newsletter of Tourism Cares |
Volunteers get their hands dirty at the Philadelphia Zoo.
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The faces of volunteers -are always smiling. That's what I've always noticed. Even in the disappointment on
Friday, September 11 when, amidst torrential downpours and 300 volunteers
ready to go to work, we were forced to cancel the long awaited
Volunteer Day on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Volunteers still smiled and said they were glad they had come to
at least try and couldn't wait to find out when they could come back to complete the job. The same smiles
were there a few weeks ago at the Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, where dozens of American Express Travel Agent
Network delegates gathered to do some much needed landscape work.
Volunteering and giving back is sometimes good for the muscles, but it's always
good for the soul. So, give back. Go to Tourismcares.org and see what we're doing
and do your part in helping. You'll be glad you did. I guarantee it. It will put a smile on your face!
Safe travels and Take Care,
Bruce Beckham, Executive Director
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Tourism Cares for America |
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The Tourism Cares and Entertainment Cruises staffs drop off lunches at Martha's Table.
Staff members Jessica Ahern and Joanna Barrett try to stay dry with volunteer Jon Gerlach.
The American Express group smiles big before beginning their work at the Zoo.
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Tourism Cares for America Volunteer Day
Although the rain washed away the inaugural Tourism Cares
for America Volunteer Day on Friday, September 11, 2009 in Washington, DC,
Tourism Cares and event luncheon sponsor Entertainment Cruises were still able to make a
significant contribution to the DC community. The boxed lunches
intended to feed the 300 Tourism Cares volunteers were delivered to Martha's Table, a non-profit
organization that serves at-risk children, youth, families and
individuals in the community to improve their lives by providing educational programs, food,
clothing, and enrichment opportunities.
"Although
it is unfortunate that the [Volunteer Day] event was canceled due to the
unpredictability of Mother Nature, Tourism Cares was still able to contribute
to the community," said Demetrios Recachinas, Manager of Food Programs at
Martha's Table. "Martha's Table feeds approximately 500 individuals on the
street each day and this contribution of boxed lunches went a long way toward
fulfilling that need."
September 11 has been recognized by Congress as a national day of
service and remembrance, and although the Tourism Cares volunteers were not
able to make a physical difference on the National Mall that day, their
dedication and contribution to the event helped to serve the community in an
alternative way.
American Express and Tourism Cares go to the Zoo!
On Sunday,
October 4, members of the American Express (AMEX) Retail Travel Network
attended their National Conference in Philadelphia and joined with Tourism
Cares to take part in a volunteer restoration project at the Philadelphia
Zoo. The project was sponsored by AMEX and the South African Tourism
Board and was organized by Tourism Cares.
Early
rising volunteers boarded trolleys and traveled
the short distance to the zoo where they were greeted by Terri Smith, Volunteer Program
Manager. The volunteers took a guided tour en route to the
Picnic Grove and Bird Lake areas where they worked, raking leaves and pulling
weeds. These simple tasks are a burden to keep up with for the
small zoo staff and the work of volunteers is vital to this city zoo that
hosts 1.2 million visitors a year. The Zoo Director of Garden
Operations, Jerry Schrack Jr. was thrilled with the amount of work the
volunteers accomplished in just a few hours. After lunch, the
volunteers returned to their hotel tired, a little sore and
dirty but with the feeling that they made a great difference in just a few
hours.
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How you can make a difference..
Tourism Caretaker tip of the month |
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Be smart this winter! Consider using non-toxic
de-icing substances on your walkways and driveways such as clean clay cat litter, sand, or fireplace/stove ash to prevent hazardous waste from chemicals.
Chemical de-icers can be hazardous to your pets, trees and shrubs, and the
environment. It's your world. Be nice when you de-ice. |
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SOS Spotlight |
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Tourism Cares and the National Tour Association
will once again run the "NTA and Tourism Cares Give Back" program during the 2009 convention in Reno to benefit
The Lear Theater, www.leartheater.org.
Currently undergoing a historic renovation project, the Lear Theater was
designed in the Neoclassical style in 1938 by internationally-acclaimed
architect, Paul Revere Williams. He was the first African-American member of
the prestigious American Institute of Architects, and also the recipient of the
NAACP's highest award, the Springarn Medal. The building was named after Bill
Lear, Jr., the famous aviation inventor (i.e. Lear jet), because of a donation
from his widow, which made the purchase of the building possible. The
white-columned Lear Theater is adjacent to downtown on the Truckee River, in
the arts and culture district. Although the site is not yet open to the
public, once renovations are completed, the Lear Theater will serve as a catalyst for a theater district in
downtown Reno, attracting large numbers of tourists and locals alike.
NTA delegates can help to make a difference in Reno by dropping donations, as
little as the change in their pockets, into a wishing well at the Tourism Cares
booth throughout the Convention week. |
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We are making a difference! |
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Tourism Cares awards a grant to the National 9/11 Museum and Memorial
On Thursday, October 15, Tourism Cares' Executive Director,
Bruce Beckham traveled to the headquarters of the National 9/11 Memorial
and Museum in New York City with the first installment of a
$150,000 pledge from Tourism Cares and the tourism industry to the museum. The grant
will fund display casing for the last remaining full scale
model of the World Trade Center, designed and constructed
by Japanese Architect, Minoru Yamasaki. The permanent display will be a focal point of
the museum.
The
9/11 special grant will be funded through many contributions to the museum
that will be provided by Tourism Cares over the next two years. The No Go
Gala, a fundraising campaign sent to friends of Tourism
Cares on September 11, is just one of the programs to raise funds
and awareness of this most important piece of history that
will be seen when the museum opens on September 11, 2012.
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How your contribution helps... |
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...Protect historic sites
Tourism
Cares awarded $7,500 to the American Hiking Society in Silver Spring, MD
as part of the summer 2009 Worldwide Grant Program. The
organization is among 12 global recipients this year to receive one of the Tourism
Cares grants that are given to worthy tourism-related nonprofits throughout
the year.
The
American Hiking Society is the only national non-profit organization dedicated
to promoting and protecting America's hiking trails, their surrounding natural
areas, and the hiking experience. The society represents millions of hikers
committed to beautiful places to hike, who believe that the preservation of
hiking trails and their environment is important and a worthwhile legacy to
leave future generations. Created more than 30 years ago, American Hiking's
Volunteer Vacations are volunteer-based trail building and improvement trips,
which offer people the chance to explore and learn about America's public wild
lands. This hands-on experience allows hikers to deeply
connect with the land. The result is they become advocates for the parks,
forests, and other public lands. The project, with matching funds from the
National Forest Foundation and REI, has the strong support of the National Park
Service.
"The
support from Tourism Cares has enabled the American Hiking Society's Volunteer
Vacations to recruit more volunteers, train more leaders and reach out to
college students with an interest in giving back to our public lands. The
result will be more restoration projects on the ground and a new generation
with a conservation ethic that will last a lifetime," said Andrea
Ketchmark, Volunteer Programs Manager at the American Hiking Society.
The Tourism Cares Worldwide Grant funding will support raising
public awareness of volunteer and recreation opportunities on public lands and
increasing the participation and enjoyment of hiking by all people, with a growing
emphasis on women, youth, and people of color.
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...Educate the future
Lee Adamson, a graduate student at the
University of Utah, is one of nearly 20 scholarship students who will attend the 2009 NTA Convention in Reno, NV as a guest of Tourism Cares. Adamson was
awarded the Dr. Tom Anderson Scholarship and will participate in the Experience
the Industry student program at the NTA Convention in mid-November.
"The Dr. Tom Anderson Scholarship from Tourism Cares will give me the
opportunity to further my education and gain additional knowledge, insight, and
experience that will help me to better promote Salt Lake as a tourist and
convention destination," Adamson said.
Adamson first developed an interest in the tourism field in high school, when
he dreamed of promoting and marketing his state to potential visitors.
"I love the nature of this business, enjoy promoting my community, and
sharing it with meeting planners, tour operators and visitors," Adamson
said. "For as long as I can remember, I have always been proud of my state
and have always wanted to share the beautiful scenery and thrilling adventures
with visitors from all over the world," he added.
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Tourism Caretaker Corner |
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Tourism Caretaker of the Month
Richie Karaburun, GTA North America
"Tourism Cares' mission to preserve the travel experience is
in line with how we feel here at GTA. GTA has a long history in the travel and
tourism industry and we're here for the long run. We feel that we have to
protect and preserve these wonderful sites for our future travelers for
generations to come. Very simply, GTA and Tourism Cares believe in the
same principles and Tourism Cares has the vehicle to help us both
advocate them."
In July, Tourism Cares Executive Director, Bruce Beckham and
Partnership Manager, Cassie Stetkiewicz visited with the employees of GTA North
America and Travel Bound, introducing them to Tourism Cares. Several
signed up to be Tourism Caretakers on the spot. If your company would
like to have Tourism Cares visit with your employees and introduce them to our
mission and the Tourism Caretaker program, please contact Cassie.
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Let us know what you think!
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Have something to say?
We want your voice to be heard! Send your thoughts, comments, suggestions to Jessica Ahern. We will publish your ideas in our next Because You Care newsletter! | |
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