MCLEAN, Va., 2014-11-26 — /Travel PR News/ — Homewood Suites by Hilton announced today the launch of Make a Moment, a program dedicated to help the brave men and women of the U.S. Military recreate important missed moments in their family lives. The extended stay hotel brand is making an initial $100,000 donation for this initiative, which will continue into 2015.
In partnership with the United Service Organizations (USO), Homewood Suites will build Make a Moment boxes that will be delivered to select USO centers, starting with 10 locations before the end of the year. Each box will include all the essential touches needed to host a special event for the families served by the centers. In addition, Homewood Suites will make a $1,000 donation to help make every celebration even more memorable. Starting with the upcoming holiday season, the packages will be themed around some of the most missed occasions by military families. Throughout the year, Homewood Suites will feature Make a Moment content on its Welcome Home Headquarters community on the brand’s Facebook page, and will drive the conversation using the #MakeaMoment hashtag as well as encourage donations to the USO.
“Military families make tremendous sacrifices, and this partnership with the USO offers Homewood Suites the opportunity to not only help these families re-create the moments missed, but also say thank you for everything they do,” said Christian Kuhn, vice president of marketing, Homewood Suites by Hilton. “Every day our goal is to make our guests feel at home, and we hope that this program brings that same feeling to the men and women who serve, and also inspire the hospitality industry to support this cause.”
The campaign was kicked off with a holiday themed event hosted on November 20th at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, Home of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Celebrity Chef Kelsey Nixon was on hand to treat U.S. Military families to an interactive cooking demonstration, where more than 100 attendees learned easy-to-recreate recipes to incorporate to their holiday traditions and great options to send to their loved ones overseas. Kelsey also collaborated with former Whitehouse Chef Jack Slattery on a special meal for the occasion.
Staff members from Homewood Suites in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. were in attendance to help build the first set of holiday themed Make a Moment boxes. The evening was capped off with a symbolic check presentation and vacation giveaway by Christian Kuhn, vice president of marketing, Homewood Suites by Hilton. Two lucky winners from the group were randomly selected to enjoy weekend stays at the Homewood Suites of their choice.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the USO,” said USO Vice President of Corporate Alliances Christy Hartsell. “Troops and military families miss out on countless everyday moments in service to our country. It is such an honor for us to be able to partner with Homewood Suites by Hilton to give military families the opportunity to celebrate those missed moments and to show them that America supports them, appreciates their sacrifices and are always by their side.”
Homewood Suites’ Make a Moment program is part of the brand’s ongoing campaign to honor military families, which includes partnerships with the USO, Folds of Honor Foundation and Military Spouse of the Year program, as well as a special evergreen 15 percent discount* off the Best Available Rate to all active and retired military. The brand’s military support campaign is also part of Hilton Worldwide’s wider commitment, Operation: Opportunity, a pledge to hire 10,000 veterans over the next five years and donate millions of Hilton HHonors points to assist job-seeking veterans.
Visit Homewood Suites’ Facebook page to learn more about Homewood Suites’ Make a Moment program and how you can donate to the USO.
Contacts:
Jennifer Hughes
Director, Brand Public Relations, Hilton Worldwide
+1 901 374 6518
jennifer.hughes@hilton.com
Shawn Warmstein
For Hilton Worldwide
+1 305 444 3383
shawn.warmstein@rbbpr.com
About the USO
The USO lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases in the U.S. and abroad, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. Our programs and services are made possible by the American people, support of our corporate partners and the dedication of our volunteers and staff.
In addition to individual donors and corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by President’s Circle Partners: American Airlines, AT&T, BNSF Railway, Clark Construction Group, LLC, The Coca-Cola Company, Grand Canyon University, JCPenney, Jeep, Johnson & Johnson, Kroger, Northrop Grumman Corporation and TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Worldwide Strategic Partners: BAE Systems, BIC, The Boeing Company, ConAgra Foods, FedEx, Harris Teeter, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Procter & Gamble, TKS Telepost Kabel-Service Kaiserslautern GmbH & Co. KG and Wawa Inc. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this important mission, and to learn more about the USO, please visit uso.org.
About Homewood Suites by Hilton
Homewood Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide’s upscale, all-suite, residential-style hotel with more than 350 hotels open in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Homewood Suites by Hilton is proud to be a J.D. Power 2014 Customer Champion – one of an elite group of 50 U.S. companies to be named to this list. Also voted “Top Upscale Extended-Stay” hotel by J.D. Power and Associates and Business Travel News, Homewood Suites by Hilton is the first choice for guests seeking comfortable, home-like accommodations when traveling for an extended stay. Beyond its spacious suites, which feature separate living and sleeping areas, and fully equipped kitchens with full sized refrigerators, additional value-driven amenities include: complimentary Internet, a daily full-hot breakfast, and healthy, delicious evening meals with drinks every Monday-Thursday. The brand is focused on guest satisfaction and stands behind each stay with its 100% Suite Assurance® guarantee. For more information, please visit www.homewoodsuites.com.
*Service of alcohol subject to state and local laws. Must be of legal drinking age. **Guest pays for groceries. Other restrictions apply.
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 95 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company’s portfolio of twelve world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,250 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 700,000 rooms in 93 countries and territories, including Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Curio – A Collection by Hilton, Canopy by Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®. Visit news.hiltonworldwide.com for more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide,www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide,www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwide, and www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
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Celebrity chef Kelsey Nixon demonstrates easy holiday recipes during the kick-off event for Homewood Suites by Hilton’s “Make a Moment” campaign at the USO Warrior and Family Center at Naval Support Activity Bethesda. Credit: Homewood Suites by Hilton