30,000 Soap and Shampoo Products Donated for Immediate Hurricane Relief As Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International Partner with Clean the World To Help Victims of Hurricane Michael

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Oct 12, 2018, 17:24 ET

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Oct. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International today announced the immediate donation of 30,000 containers of soap, shampoo, shower gel, body lotion and conditioner for distribution to victims of Hurricane Michael. 150 cases containing 30,000 hygiene items will be distributed by Orlando-based Clean the World, which collects and recycles hotel soap and bottled in-room amenities.

The donated hygiene items are coming from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, plus the Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee located east of Naples. The three hotels were finalizing an ongoing agreement with Clean the World when Hurricane Michael ravaged the Florida Panhandle and parts of the Southeastern United States. As part of the agreement, all three hotels will continue to donate soap, shampoo and related hygiene items to Clean the World on an ongoing basis, to help fight the global spread of preventable diseases.

"We want to quickly help hurricane victims, who need hygiene products now," said Tracy Bradford, Senior Vice President of Purchasing for Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International. "As a socially responsible hotel and casino company, we are committed to improving the lives of others and protecting the planet. Recycling hotel soap and other in-room amenities is the right thing to do."

With recycling centers in Orlando, Las Vegas, Punta Cana and Hong Kong, Clean the World is a social enterprise dedicated to saving millions of lives around the world while simultaneously diverting hotel waste from landfills. On average, more than 5,000 children die every day from hygiene-related illnesses, primarily pneumonia and diarrheal disease, which are two of the top killers of children under the age of five.

Hand washing with soap is a low-cost intervention that can reduce those deaths by almost 50 percent. Since 2009, Clean the World has contributed to a 35 percent reduction in pre-adolescent deaths from hygiene-related illnesses by providing soap and hygiene education to make hand washing a lifelong habit and positively impact early childhood development.

The new partnership between Seminole Gaming and Clean the World adds 798 guestrooms and is projected to annually provide approximately 2,100 pounds of soap to Clean the World.

"Our hotel partners are driving impact in their local communities and all around the world," said Shawn Seipler, Founder and CEO of Clean the World. "By making a commitment to sustainable, socially responsible programs in the hospitality industry, Seminole Gaming's casino hotels are using leftover soap and bottled amenities to help save lives."

In addition to providing soap to those in need around the world, Seminole Gaming casino hotels will be contributing recycled bottled hygiene amenities that will be repurposed for Clean the World Hygiene Kits, with distribution to shelters, food pantries, and disaster recovery organizations in the United States.

About Clean the World
Clean the World is a social enterprise dedicated to the mission of saving millions of lives around the world while simultaneously diverting hotel waste from landfills. Clean the World operates soap recycling centers in Orlando, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and Punta Cana and leads a "Global Hygiene Revolution" to distribute recycled soap and hygiene products from more than 5,000 hotel and resort partners. The organization benefits children and families in countries with a high pre-adolescent death rate due to acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal diseases (cholera) – which are two of the top killers of children under the age of five. Since 2009, more than 46 million bars of Clean the World soap have been distributed in over 127 countries. Clean the World has served over 10 million individuals through its soap distribution and hygiene education programs. In addition, Clean the World provides hygiene kits to relief organizations throughout North America. More information: CleantheWorld.org. For more information about Clean the World's relief efforts or to donate, please visit www.cleantheworldfoundation.org/emergency-response.

About Seminole Gaming
Seminole Gaming operates six Florida casinos for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla. Seminole Gaming has long been recognized for its industry innovations and success. It was the first Indian Tribe in North America to open a high-stakes bingo hall and casino, which debuted in 1979 and became the forerunner of the Indian Gaming movement.

About Hard Rock International
With venues in 74 countries, including 185 cafes, 27 hotels and 12 casinos, Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's most valuable collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise and Hard Rock Live performance venues. HRI owns the global trademark for all Hard Rock brands. The company owns, operates and franchises Cafes in iconic cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Sydney and Dubai. HRI also owns, licenses and/or manages hotel/casino properties worldwide. Destinations include the company's two most successful Hotel and Casino properties in Tampa and Hollywood, FL., both owned and operated by HRI parent entity The Seminole Tribe of Florida, as well as other exciting locations including Atlantic City, Bali, Cancun, Daytona Beach, Ibiza, Orlando, Shenzhen and San Diego. Upcoming new Hard Rock Cafe locations include, Maldives, Manila, Malaga, Georgetown, Fortaleza, Rosario and Chengdu. New Hard Rock Hotel, Casino or Hotel & Casino projects include Berlin, Budapest, Desaru Coast, Dublin, London, Los Cabos, Madrid, Maldives, New York City, Ottawa, Sacramento, Dalian and Haikou in China. In 2018, Hard Rock International was recognized as a Forbes Magazine Top Employer for Women and Land Operator of the Year at the Global Gaming Awards. For more information on Hard Rock International visit www.hardrock.com.