BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Doubletree Hotels announced that it has received the prestigious 2008 “Promise to the Earth Award” from the Arbor Day Foundation. The Promise to the Earth award is presented annually by the world’s largest nonprofit tree planting organization to corporations for outstanding commitments to environmental stewardship and education. The award also recognizes organizations that support the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission to “Inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.”
The Arbor Day Foundation acknowledged Doubletree for their continued and growing dedication to three major projects:
• Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE Community Outreach Program. Since the spring of 2004, Doubletree has worked with the Arbor Day Foundation on a variety of environmental education and tree planting projects through Teaching Kids to Care, the hotel brand’s award-winning, school mentoring initiative. As a result of this program, Doubletree employees have engaged more than 100,000 grade school students in 150 locations across North America about the importance of trees and environmental responsibility. Supporting projects, such as the TIME For Kids “Plant a Better Future” fall 2007 in-class program sponsored by Doubletree, reached an additional 91,000 teachers and 2.1 million students in grades two through four.
• Doubletree Hotels/Arbor Day Foundation 250,000 Tree Milestone. Doubletree has encouraged the general public to take part in their tree planting promise through a variety of marketing outreach and communications efforts. Along with more than 75,000 trees planted as part of the Teaching Kids to CARE program, additional promotional and online campaigns have contributed to the planting of another 175,000 trees in America’s national and state forests and regional parks through reforestation projects by the Arbor Day Foundation.
• Exploring Trees Inside and Out Traveling Museum Exhibit. A new environmental education experience is planting the seeds of knowledge in some of the nation’s top children’s museums, botanical gardens and science centers. Last spring, Doubletree Hotels entered into an agreement to develop the “Exploring Trees Inside and Out” traveling museum exhibit with the Arbor Day Foundation and become the exclusive sponsor of its nationwide tour through the end of 2010. One million visitors are anticipated to visit this 2,500-square-foot, interactive playground that encourages both kids and adults to explore the beauty of the great outdoors through the incredible wonders of trees. More than 150,000 people already have visited “Exploring Trees Inside and Out” since its debut earlier this year at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle and at its current summer home at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.
“Doubletree is a proud member of the Hilton Family of Hotels—an organization that recently announced its environmental sustainability commitments and truly believes in the importance of being a responsible corporate citizen in today’s world,” said Dave Horton, senior vice president-brand management for Doubletree Hotels. “As a result, our brand continues to look for ways to emphasize the importance of environmental education, responsibility and stewardship with our team members, our guests and the communities we serve. On behalf of more than 45,000 team members across North America, Doubletree Hotels is truly honored to be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation with their 2008 Promise to the Earth Award. We look forward to developing a variety of additional initiatives and projects with the Arbor Day Foundation that encourages people of all ages to respect and enjoy the wonders of nature that begin right outside our doors each and every day.”
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