By Daily Press staff
Amidst devastating reports of continued suffering by victims of December’s tsunami disaster, a Santa Monica hotel company has undertaken its own relief efforts.
The Kor Hotel Group, which owns the Viceroy, has created customer-and company-based fundraising programs to provide immediate aid to survivors of the tragedy and to families in need.
For guests wishing to share in Kor Hotel Group’s efforts, the company is offering “relief rates.” The Kor Hotel Group will donate 10 percent of all reservations made in January 2005 to tsunami relief. Guests need to make reservations through www.reachout2005.com for donations to take effect. All of Kor Hotel Group’s Southern California-based properties are participating, including Viceroy Santa Monica, Viceroy Palm Springs, and Avalon and Maison 140 in Beverly Hills.
In addition, Kor Hotel Group President John Arnett has announced that the company will match dollar-for-dollar all of the donations personally made by its employees. To ensure effective distribution of relief and supplies to tsunami-effected families in need, the Kor Hotel Group has selected World Vision (www.world-vision.org), a Seattle-based charity organization, as the distributor of its financial aid. Kor Hotel Group employees and matching donations will go towards providing family survival kits through World Vision. Each kit costs $100, and will sustain a family of four for several days. It takes approximately 72 hours from the time of donation to a family’s receipt of the goods.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 15, 2005. Read the original PDF.