Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts today marked the conclusion of its 'Room Nights for the Brave'charity campaign with a donation presentation of more than 10.5 million Priority Club® Reward Points, or up to 700 room nights, to Birdies for the Brave, a PGA TOUR-supported military outreach initiative developed to assist the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
PGA TOUR players Kris Blanks and DJ Trahan accepted the donation along with Marc Raiken from Birdies for the Brave today at the Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi.
Crowne Plaza began the "Room Nights for the Brave" charity campaign at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial on May 19th. From the kickoff at the Colonial through the AT&T National ending July 3rd, Crowne Plaza donated a room night to Birdies for the Brave for every eagle made by a PGA TOUR player, creating a bank of hotel stays. In addition, in honor of National Armed Forces Day on May 21st of the Colonial, Crowne Plaza donated a room night for every birdie made during play. The more than 700 room nights will be used to support injured veterans and military personnel participating in Birdies for the Brave activities at TPC Clubs, PGA TOUR and Champions Tour events as well as other unique golf related experiences.
Crowne Plaza also donated an additional $5,000 to support Birdies for the Brave as a result of a campaign on the brand's Facebook page (www.Facebook.com/CrownePlaza). The monetary donation was generated by fans that participated in the "Room Nights for the Brave" campaign and supported the troops through social media.
"Since our campaign launched at the Crowne Plaza at Colonial in May, we've seen a tremendous amount of success and support from both PGA golfers and the public," said Gina LaBarre, Vice President, Brand Management, the Americas, IHG. "We're so honored that our partnership with the PGA TOUR and Birdies for the Brave will be helping the brave men and women in our military reunite with their families in a place where they can spend much deserved quality time."
The PGA TOUR is deeply committed to supporting the military through initiatives like Birdies for the Brave. "The room night donations and additional contribution from Crowne Plaza will be a very helpful resource for Birdies for the Brave and will facilitate special experiences for the members of our military," said Marc Raiken, Public Relations and Community Outreach for the PGA TOUR. "This program is providing a much needed asset for the military and their families, and the PGA TOUR is thankful that the eagles and birdies made are contributing to a good cause."
Crowne Plaza's parent company, IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)], the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms, is the Official Hotel and Resort Partner of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour. The PGA TOUR and IHG began the five-year integrated marketing and business partnership in 2011. In addition to the official marketing relationship, IHG's Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand is the title sponsor of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial through 2015. Crowne Plaza has served as title sponsor of the historic event since 2007. Crowne Plaza is known to business travellers as "The Place to Meet" and golf courses have a storied history as informal meeting places, which Crowne Plaza will continue to leverage through its relationship with the PGA TOUR and Colonial Country Club across all IHG brands.
The 2012 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, captured in 2011 by David Toms, will be held May 21-27 at Colonial Country Club. Dating back to 1946, the Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas is the longest-running PGA TOUR tournament held at the same venue.
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