Posted 10/23/2012 - 10:43:56 AM
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ORLANDO, FL—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and its owner community, represented by the IHG Owners Association, announced the groundbreaking on four new villas at the Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, FL.
Fundraising efforts generated by corporate employees, hotel owners and guests will make it possible for Give Kids The Word (GKTW), an international nonprofit organization that provides cost-free Orlando vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses, to serve more families. The IHG family contributed more than $6 million over the years, including half-a-million dollars donated in 2012 to support construction of the villas.
IHG and GKTW have a shared history. Henri Landwirth, founder of GKTW, was also a Holiday Inn hotel owner. Today, Give Kids The World Village is a 70-acre resort that welcomes more than 7,000 families a year.
The four new villas will open in the Fairy Tale Forest at the Give Kids The World Village and will join six existing villas adopted over the course of the partnership. Each two-villa building measures 2,600 sq. ft. and can accommodate up to 16 guests. Annually, nearly 120 families will stay in each building.
“IHG has been a loyal supporter of our mission since we welcomed our very first family at the Holiday Inn Main Gate East more than two decades ago,” said Pamela Landwirth, president, GKTW, in a statement. “Since then, Give Kids The World has been able to restore joy and provide hope to more than 118,000 children from around the world. On behalf of all the families who will be able to experience a week of magical memories in their new home away from home, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to IHG, the IHG Owners Association and all its loyal employees and guests for making this possible.”
In addition, IHG recently established an IHG Academy with GKTW and the Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista Downtown hotel. The IHG Academy, which has 100 locations worldwide, helps participants build their skills in hospitality and improve their employability in the hotel industry. GKTW volunteers and staff will be able to participate in the IHG Academy to further strengthen their hospitality skills.
