Festiva Selects Seven Organizations as Annual Charitable Fund Recipients
Asheville, N.C. (PRWEB) August 05, 2016 -- Festiva, the developer for the Festiva hotel and resort properties and the Festiva Adventure Club, is pleased to announce organizations that benefitted from its Charitable Fund in 2016. The Festiva Charitable Fund committee chose organizations based in Asheville, N.C., Branson, Mo., Gulf Shores, Ala., Orlando, Fla., and the Charleston and Myrtle Beach areas of South Carolina. A total of $14,000 in funds has been distributed to seven organizations that were researched by the committee and recommended by employees who live and work in the areas.
With an operational office and its parent company’s corporate office in Asheville, Festiva is a regular supporter of numerous non-profit and charitable organizations in the area. This year, the fund chose the WNC Nature Center to receive $2,500. The Center serves all 27 counties of western North Carolina and welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually, including more than 30,000 school children attending the Nature Center in conjunction with their classroom curriculum. Festiva also chose Caring for Children, an organization that has helped thousands of children and families in crisis rebuild their lives through various programs at group homes, foster care services, mental health services and family support and respite.
In Orlando, where Festiva is headquartered, the company chose two organizations for this year’s contribution. In response to the tragedy in June at the Pulse night club, Festiva donated $2,000 to the OneOrlando Fund to benefit victims of the shooting and their families. The company also donated $1,500 to the Kate and Justin Rose Foundation, a nonprofit that provides food, books and life experiences to low-income children throughout Orlando.
In the low country area of South Carolina, where Festiva has several affiliated resort in Charleston and throughout the Grand Strand, the company donated $2,000 to the Lowcountry Food Bank, an organization that serves the 10 coastal counties of the state and aims to distribute more than 24 million pounds of food each year. The organization has programs geared toward school children, the elderly, and those who live in rural areas. There are also nutrition and educational programs as well as partnerships with local food growers.
In Branson, Festiva contributed $2,000 to Jesus Was Homeless, a nonprofit organization designed to provide meal, employment training and access to health care for those who live in weekly and extended stay hotels. In addition to preparing and delivering meals, the organization provides bicycles for people who have no other transportation option and partners with local businesses to provide job training.
In Gulf Shores, Festiva contributed $2,000 to the Alabama Gulf Coast Reef & Restoration Foundation, an organization formed to support artificial reef development in the coastal waters of Alabama. This endeavor combines the interests of conservationists as well as divers and fishers. The goal is to preserve, sustain and enhance the habitat and water quality of the inland waters and coast.
About the Festiva Charitable Fund
Festiva began a flexible endowment fund in 2006 with the intent of providing permanent charitable resources for all the communities where Festiva employees live and work. The primary focus of the Festiva Charitable Fund is to promote education for our youth, eliminate poverty in our communities and support health and human services organizations. The charitable fund is also used to respond to extraordinary global events. The Festiva Charitable Fund is managed by The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and expanding philanthropy.
Each year, a committee selects nonprofit organizations from several Festiva destinations that will benefit from the fund. A large portion of the fund’s contributions are raised at the biennial Festiva Charitable Fund Golf Tournament. This year’s tournament will take place on October 04 at Festiva’s flagship resort, Ellington at Wachesaw Plantation East in Murrells Inlet, S.C. The 2014 tournament raised $80,000 and this year’s goal is to beat that and reach the $100,000 mark.
About Festiva
Festiva is a family of boutique vacation ownership resorts located in some of the most popular destinations in the United States and Caribbean. Along with efforts to support local communities where the company operates, Festiva constantly looks for new ways to offer exciting vacation opportunities to its members, while treating every guest like family. More information can be found at http://www.festiva.com.
Kristen Shiring, Festiva, http://www.festiva.com, +1 (828) 350-2105 Ext: 4398, [email protected]
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