Hotelier and Philanthropist Matches Dollar for Dollar Funds Raised by Students
ORLANDO (April 15, 2011) – Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen established the Harris Rosen Foundation because he wanted to give to those in need, but recently, he’s used his charitable organization as a means to encourage young people to give back as well.
Students at Lake Highland Preparatory School (LHPS) recently conducted several fundraisers to collect money for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and they asked Rosen, who serves as Orlando’s Honorary Consul General of Japan, to match what they raised. Through a Japanese Relief Benefit concert and other small fundraisers, the students of LHPS raised an astounding $43,240. Rosen, true to his word, matched the amount dollar for dollar.
The benefit concert was held March 27 with more than 200 students showcasing their talents in music, theatre and dance, including numbers from The Wizard of Oz, Oliver and Alice in Wonderland. The ensemble cast was joined by two internationally recognized players of the koto (a Japanese stringed instrument) who were accompanied by two students who did a traditional Japanese dance. There was no admission charge for the performance, but donations of any size were accepted.
Many of the school’s 2,030 students gathered at an outdoor assembly on April 11, along with Mr. Rosen, to present their combined check of $86,480 for Japanese Relief. The businessman and philanthropist congratulated the students on their fundraising success and also gave a word of advice, “As you become more and more successful in life, be sure to find a way to use that success to help others.”
Through his connections as Honorary Consul General, Rosen will help determine how to best put the donation to use.
This is the second time that Rosen has matched funds raised by LHPS. Last year, the student body raised more than $116,000 for earthquake victims in Haiti, another cause near and dear to Rosen’s heart as more than one third of Rosen Hotels & Resorts® associates are Haitian or of Haitian descent. Through his foundation, he also matched those funds, in addition to conducting numerous other fundraising, food and supply drives as part of his larger Relief-Rebuild-Sustain program for Haiti. Overall, the Harris Rosen Foundation has raised close to one million dollars for Haiti earthquake relief and continues to work on developing the low-cost, eco-friendly Little Haiti House Village.
Due to its competitive wages and outstanding associate benefit program, including the onsite Rosen Medical Center, wellness programs, continuing education and language development programs, Rosen Hotels & Resorts® has one of the lowest associate turnover rates in the hotel industry. Funding from the Harris Rosen Foundation has allowed for the creation of the Tangelo Park Project, which provides free preschool, college and vocational education to disadvantaged youth; the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management; and the Jack and Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando Jewish Community Center. The Foundation also contributes to numerous charitable organizations throughout Central Florida and beyond each year.
The Rosen Hotels & Resorts® family includes three award-winning convention properties, Rosen Plaza®, Rosen Centre® and Rosen Shingle Creek®, and four leisure properties in the Orlando tourist corridor, including the Quality Inn International, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista.
For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com or call 866-33-ROSEN.
Founded in 1970, Lake Highland Preparatory School is a coeducational, independent day school with two campuses totaling forty-two acres in the heart of Orlando. LHPS educates 2,030 students from grades Pre-K though 12 in a rigorous college preparatory program. The school is accredited by Florida Council of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Florida Kindergarten Council.
