The Westin Malta financial director James Le, together with over 30 sister hotels from the Starwood Hotels and Resorts portfolio in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, will be cycling from Amsterdam to Brussels to raise money for UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
The aim of the long-distance cycle ride, which will take place over this weekend, is to raise as much money as possible for a specific UNICEF project, supporting youth groups and orphans in Ethiopia.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts has supported UNICEF for over 11 years, since the inception of the unique Check Out for Children initiative, which now operates in more than 210 Starwood hotels all over the world, and which has raised $14 million worldwide for use by UNICEF in immunising children against the six major childhood killer diseases.
The money raised by the Starwood EAME Bicycle Challenge will support a UNICEF project which helps youth clubs in Ethiopia to set up their own businesses, providing them with regular work and an income out of which they can give financial assistance to local orphaned and vulnerable children. In addition, by selling their goods and services to local people, the youth clubs will make everyone in the community aware of the plight of the children they are trying to help, making it easier to bring about an increase in the care provided to children in the community itself.
Roeland Vos, President Europe, Middle East and Africa, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, said, “This is an important UNICEF initiative for us to support in addition to our regular fundraising for them through Check Out for Children”. As a result of these initiatives, 6,000 Ethiopian children who are orphaned or vulnerable will be provided with basics such as food and clothes, and enabled to go to school. In addition, 600 members of youth groups will benefit from employment opportunities, skills training and an earned income. We operate one hotel in Ethiopia – the Sheraton Addis – so this project means we can give something back to the local community there.”
Sir Roger Moore KBE, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, will officially start the Bike Ride, at 11am tomorrow, cheering on 63 teams and 378 participants, from hotels representing most of Starwood’s hotel brands such as the Le Méridien Hotel des Indes, The Hague; the Westin Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire; the Sheraton Frankfurt; the St Regis Grand Rome; the Gritti Palace, Venice and the Sheraton Four Points Brussels, as well as teams from Starwood’s EAME headquarters in Brussels, led by Roeland Vos.
The challenge is to complete the 360km distance from Amsterdam to Brussels in less than 24 hours. Each participating hotel will be sending a team of six brave volunteers to take part in the task.