Philanthropy

The Wyndham Vacation Ownership (WVO) philanthropy segment, “Women on Their Way”, recently hosted a fundraiser to raise money for the Orlando-based charity Space to Grow. Established in 2005, Space to Grow is a local organization devoted to supporting women and children in the Orlando area.

Women on Their Way is an Associate Business Group operated by WVO to help female employees succeed in the corporate environment. By empowering women, Wyndham is working to create a culture of teamwork, support, and camaraderie.

The events benefited Space to Grow’s Baskets of Love Program, collecting supplies for women and children residing at the Orlando Women’s Residential & Counseling Center. This organization, a division of Central Florida’s Coalition for the Homeless, assists women and children going through a transitional time. About 75% of these recipients come from domestic abuse and are in need of transitional housing, supplies, and support. Every year, Baskets of Love donates baskets to 70 families.

The Baskets of Love fundraiser collected supplies from February 4–14, 2014. Orlando community members were encouraged to donate laundry supplies, toiletries, and hygiene products for the residents of the Women’s Residential & Counseling Center (WRCC).

Wyndham Vacation Ownership also raised funds by selling cupcakes from the popular Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly bakery, once featured on Cupcake Wars. This portion of the fundraiser collected $2,000 for the WRCC.

“The ladies of Space to Grow would like to thank the Wyndham team for participating in our 9th Annual Baskets of Love,” said Gigi Moorman, co-founder, Space to Grow. “Your dedication to assisting the women and children at WRCC warmed our hearts.”

Wyndham associates held a presentation on February 20, 2014 to deliver the proceeds of the fundraiser to representatives from Space to Grow, the Women’s Residential & Counseling Center, and the Coalition for the Homeless. In total, Wyndham donated over $2,600 and eight full baskets of supplies.

To get involved, visit SpacetoGrow.org.

Ocean Canyon Properties, the leading RV and campground vacation club, has announced their 8th annual chili cook-off. This year’s cook-off will be held on May 5th, 2014 at the Tres Rios RV Resort in Glen Rose, Texas and will benefit the Johnson County Relay for Life. Relay for Life is an annual event to support the American Cancer Society.

The event is part of a series of chili cook-offs to honor the memory of Frank X. Tolbert, Texas historian and chili enthusiast. The BBQ season will run through the fall, with the 48th Annual International Frank X. Tolbert – Wick Fowler Memorial Championship as the final event on November 1st.

The cook-off will kick-off Friday night with an appetizer competition. Throughout the weekend, a variety of contests will be held for all types of food including: BBQ, salsa, dutch oven bread, beans, open dutch oven dish, ribs, brisket, fruit desert, chicken, pork, and of course chili.

Executive VP of Ocean Canyon Properties, Peter Graffman said, “We are excited to be hosting this charitable event again at Tres Rios. It has become a wonderful tradition for Ocean Canyon Properties. We salute Chairperson Lori Nunez and her dedicated team for their success over the last seven years in organizing this event and raising money for a great cause. We look forward to participating in another year of great food, great friends, and great fun!”

For each contest, awards will be given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Each 1st place winner will receive a $50 cash prize. As cooks can compete in multiple events, the cook with the most points at the end of the event will receive the award for High-Point Cook and receive an extra $200.

The participants can also feel good about contributing to a worthy cause. All proceeds from ticket and event sales from the cook-off will be donated to the American Caner Society.

“It has been a blessing for our relay team, School of Hope, to organize an event that supports finding a cure for cancer. Our cooks have been very supportive by participating and generously donating. Over the years, the cook-off has continued to increase in cook participation. We invite everyone to come out and cook or eat the awesome BBQ and chili,” said Lori Nunez, cook-off coordinator.

For more information, visit TresRiosRVPark.com.

Westgate timeshare’s charity division, the Westgate Resorts Foundation, has recently announced a new way to support local charities through their employees.

The Westgate Resorts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity organization developed by the Westgate Resorts timeshare company to support local and large charitable organizations.

The foundation is now offering financial assistance to team members who run in local charity races. They encourage employees to work together by forming running groups. These groups will allow them to volunteer for the events on behalf of the organization.

Since the Westgate Resorts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity organization, it can only donate money to other charitable organizations. Therefore, Westgate must restrict this running program to only include races that donate a portion of their proceeds to a charity.

Financial assistance will be offered on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Employees can participate in a variety of races including 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons, and more. Westgate is open to allowing employees to choose the type of race and the charity, as long as it qualifies under 501(c)(3) guidelines.

While employees are encouraged to participate as a team, there are also options available for individual runners. If a Westgate employee chooses to run a race solo, they will be reimbursed by Westgate up to $100 per year. This reimbursement system can also be used for non-charitable races.

For example, if an employee wishes to participate in the Color Run or the Disney Marathon, they can choose this reimbursement option. Westgate provides this option to support health and wellness within its Westgate team members.

For more information, please visit WestgateResortsFoundation.org.

Today, DAE China announced in a press release that they have fundraised over $4,000 for a local charity.

DAE China partnered with Pacific Sunrise for a philanthropy event to raise money for the Pearl Retrieving Project, an organization that helps underprivileged high school students to continue their education.

Since their founding in 2004, Pearl Retrieving Project has helped over 40,000 students to continue to learn through educational services.

This particular fundraiser, “Relay of Love, Youth Carry On”, was a charity sales event hosted at the Hui Da Business Park located in Shanghai. In total, the charity event fundraised $4,200.

Head of DAE China, Yang Chen saw the occasion as a chance for DAE China to support an organization which has such a positive impact on their local community. With the Pearl Retrieving Project, DAE China’s contribution could actually be felt within the community, and possibly educate students that may one day work for the company.

“When business is expanding, social responsibility also grows,” shared Mr. Chen. “DAE is a company that not only measures success by the number of members we have, but how we can make a difference to those members’ lives and the lives of others.

“DAE China strives to give back whenever possible, and we call upon more enterprises and individuals to do the same. We’d like to see more positive energy dedicated to building a better community as a whole.”

As the vacation ownership demand continues to grow in China, we expect to hear more about DAE China and their positive impact on the timeshare industry.

For more information, visit Daelive.com