Press Release: Starwood Foundation
September 19, 2000
ATLANTA, GA -- The Starwood Foundation, the philanthropic trust of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, one of the world's
largest hotel companies, has become the first national sponsor of CityCares' Serve-a-Thon events. Starwood signed
on to sponsor Serve-A-Thons in Atlanta, New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. This sponsorship is part
of Starwood's comprehensive national community outreach campaign called StarCare for the Community.
Serve-a-Thons, which occur annually in CityCares' affiliate cities, are day-long fundraising events where individuals,
corporations, families, friends and communities join together to make a powerful difference in the lives of others.
Thousands of volunteers in each city gather on one day to complete hundreds of community service projects, including
painting murals in elementary schools, cleaning up playgrounds and public parks, visiting senior citizens, providing
food for the homeless and reading to children.
As a national sponsor, The Starwood Foundation donated $200,000 to help make the Serve-A-Thons successful and associates
of Starwood have worked alongside City Cares affiliate volunteers in each city on event day. In Washington, D.C.,
Boston and Chicago, where Serve-A-Thons have already taken place, Starwood associates, families and friends donated
3,344 volunteer hours. At Hands On Atlanta Day on October 7, Starwood associates will be working to revitalize
three elementary school campuses. Some of the projects will include building an amphitheater, painting murals and
landscaping.
"We saw that partnering with CityCares provided us with a way to make a national impact, as well as provide
our associates with a unique opportunity to give back to the communities in which they live and work," said
Barry Sternlicht, chairman and chief executive for Starwood.
Starwood's commitment to a national sponsorship came as the result of a long-time relationship with Chicago Cares
and their annual Serve-a-Thon event. The partnership also is a direct result of Starwood's commitment to America's
Promise, an organization dedicated to making our nation's youth successful.
"We are thrilled to partner with a company so committed to having a positive impact on communities across
the country," said Michele Naporano, CityCares associate director. "This national sponsorship will really
open the doors to increasing the impact of Serve-A-Thon events everywhere."
CityCares is a national umbrella organization for local CityCares organizations across the country. It seeks to
promote a heightened understanding of community needs and service, and to improve the quality of life in the communities
served by the more than 27 CityCares organizations. Serve-A-Thons give members of each community an opportunity
to suggest service projects and then see those projects completed by teams of volunteers. Last year, 77,000 volunteers
completed 250,000 hours of community service in Serve-a-Thons nationally.
Hands On Atlanta, Boston Cares, Chicago Cares, New York Cares and Greater DC Cares are the affiliates being supported
by the Starwood sponsorship. The two remaining Serve-a-Thons will take place on October 7 in Atlanta and October
14 in New York. Anyone interested in joining the CityCares volunteers to serve their community can find more information
by visiting http://www.citycares.org and linking to their local affiliate's Web site.
The Starwood Foundation is the philanthropic trust of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT),
one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 725 properties in 80 countries and 120,000
employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated
owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin,
Four Points and W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators
of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit us at http://www.starwoodhotels.com.
For further information