Give Kids village receives $1m from hotelier

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Give Kids village receives $1m from hotelier

County News

Thursday, 27 December 2012 07:54

Orlando hotelier and recognized philanthropist Harris Rosen, president of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, has donated $1 million to Give Kids The World (GKTW).
It will go toward the construction of 64 new villas which will accommodate more children with life-threatening illnesses and their families visiting the nonprofit resort for a once-in-a-lifetime dream vacation. The donation, which was made through the Harris Rosen Foundation, will go toward GKTW’s Capital Expansion and Improvement Project, which is part of a five-year, $120 million Village Campaign.
“Give Kids The World got an early Christmas present this week when I received a phone call that all non-profits dream of getting,” said GKTW President Pamela Landwirth. “Mr. Rosen’s incredible gift not only jump-starts the fundraising for our new villas, but also provides the inspiration to hope for many more generous gifts in support of our campaign.”
According to a company press release, Rosen is a widely recognized and respected hotelier, community builder, father and philanthropist who founded Rosen Hotels & Resorts in 1974 before donating 25 acres of land and $10 million to the University of Central Florida in 2002 to develop the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at UCF. Students from Rosen College volunteer regularly at GKTW, following their founder’s mantra of giving back to the community. Rosen has a long history of giving to those in need, particularly children.
“I realize what an incredibly fortunate individual I am because I have been able to achieve so much more than I ever imagined, and now I have an opportunity to give back, something I have always wanted to do,” said Rosen. “My hope is that others in my position will recognize their duty to engage in what I refer to as ‘responsible capitalism’ and to use their success and wealth to benefit others, simply because it’s the right thing to do.”
Every year, GKTW welcomes more than 7,000 families from around the world for a weeklong, cost-free vacation complete with accommodations in whimsical villas, meals, donated attractions tickets, nightly entertainment and more.
However, with only 140 villas on the 70-acre resort, nearly 500 of those families must stay off-site at nearby hotels. Rosen’s gift will allow more children and their families the opportunity to experience the magic of staying at the whimsical village where ice cream is served for breakfast, Christmas comes once a week and 6-foot-tall bunny rabbits named Mayor Clayton and Ms. Merry tuck the children in at night.
Recently, Rosen had the opportunity to meet one of the families who will be helped because of his gift.
The Vandiver Family from Pelham, Ala., is staying at Give Kids The World Village as part of 5-year-old Abigail’s wish to visit Walt Disney World. Diagnosed with cancer at seven months old, “Abby” has been cancer-free for three and half years. Rosen recently shared in the family’s fun by indulging in ice cream for breakfast – a tradition a Give Kids The World Village – with Abby and siblings Patrick, 10, and Sarah, 7. Afterward, he joined the children for a ride on the Village’s Enchanted Carousel.
Watching her children’s faces light up with joy as the carousel spun around, Abby’s mother, Amy, said, “I stay at home with the children and my husband is a police officer so being (at Give Kids The World Village) is something we could never have afforded on our own. It is truly the vacation of a lifetime.”
For more information on GKTW’s Village Campaign, visit: http://www.givekidstheworld.org/campaign/.