Parsippany, N.J., 2013-04-02 — /travelprnews.com/ — RCI®, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), announced today that it will return as the title sponsor of the RCI Christel House Open International Charity Golf Tournament in 2013. This marks the seventh consecutive year that RCI has served as the title sponsor.
“We’re honored to once again be able to serve as the title sponsor of this very important annual fundraising event for Christel House,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “Our associates take tremendous pride in helping the thousands of children around the world from Christel House realize their hopes and dreams in a nurturing setting that is uncompromising in its pursuit of excellence. Last year, we were able to raise more than $600,000, all of which goes directly to educating, feeding and caring for these children and we’re calling on our colleagues across the timeshare and hospitality industries to help us exceed that amount in 2013.”
The 2013 RCI Christel House Open kicks off on Saturday, May 18 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and will continue at 12 additional sites on three continents. This event, which is celebrating its 11th year, welcomes nearly 1,500 golfers, sponsors and volunteers from around the world to raise funds and awareness for Christel House International. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event directly benefit the children of this nonprofit organization.
Christel DeHaan, the co-founder of RCI, founded Christel House in 1998. The nonprofit aims to help its more than 3,800 children around the world break the cycle of poverty, realize their hopes and dreams and become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. The organization operates Learning Centers in the U.S., India, Mexico and South Africa and funds outreach programs in Serbia and Venezuela.
“RCI’s dedication to helping the children of Christel House exemplifies leading by example,” said DeHaan. “Thank you, RCI, for once again stepping up as Title Sponsor of the Christel House Open. You are simply fantastic.”
Christel House and the RCI Christel House Open are strongly supported by developers, resorts and vendors in the timeshare industry, with worldwide proceeds since the tournament’s inception exceeding $7.5 million. Christel House is also one of the three signature charities of Wishes by Wyndham, the philanthropic program of Wyndham Worldwide.
For more information on the RCI Christel House Open, please visit www.chopen.org.
About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with over 4,000 affiliated resorts in approximately 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through RCI® Weeks, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points®, the industry’s first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center, rciaffiliates.com or The RCI Blog. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Media Contacts:
RCI
Catherine Reynolds
(973) 753-4662
catherine.reynolds@rci.com
Christel House
Becky Arnett
(317) 464-2009
barnett@christelhouse.org