Choice Hotels Music 'Download to Donate' Program Launches Next Song

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest song in the Choice Hotels Music initiative undoubtedly will bring a smile to the faces within the Choice Hotels family – in part because it's going to help bring smiles to the faces of children around the world. Visit the Choice Hotels Music site today to download the free song, "Turn On A Smile," by Billy White Acre and the Choice Hotels International Foundation will donate $1 to Operation Smile, up to $10,000, between now and May 25th.

Operation Smile is an international children's medical charity that provides free, safe reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities, such as cleft lip and cleft palate. To build sustainability in its more than 60 partner countries, the organization educates and trains in-country doctors so they can treat children in their local communities year-round.

The Choice Hotels Music program is a win-win-win situation for the artists, consumers, Choice Hotels franchisees and associates and nonprofit organizations. It allows artists the unique opportunity to deliver their music to millions of consumers and retain ownership of their works, drives consumers to ChoiceHotels.com and results in donations to leading nonprofit organizations.

"Turn On A Smile" is an inspirational song that reminds us that a smile is contagious and will quickly spread cheer to others. Choice Hotels Music invited White Acre, a film composer, songwriter and record producer, to write a song to benefit Operation Smile. To heighten the meaning of "Turn On A Smile" and underscore the cause, White Acre featured a children's choir in the arrangement and brought in the talents and enthusiasm of the Agape International Youth Choir of Los Angeles.  He also enlisted top session musicians for his rhythm section, bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Dixie Chicks, Beck, Tori Amos) and drummer, Victor Indrizzo (Gnarls Barkley, Willie Nelson, Alanis Morissette).

"When I think of Operation Smile and how they bring so much healing and happiness to children, their families, and communities around the world, I'm honored to have my song connected with their wonderful work," said White Acre, a Toronto, Canada native with a resume of albums, feature films and TV shows to his credit.  

Consumers can visit ChoiceHotelsMusic.com to download the song and share a link to the song with friends and family through email, Facebook and Twitter, to help Operation Smile put smiles on the face of more children.

Since the Choice Hotels Music program launch in August 2010, Choice Hotels has released six original songs, generating more than 60,000 downloads via ChoiceHotelsMusic.com and enabled more than $60,000 in donations to the Nature Conservancy, Rebuilding Together, SOME (So Others Might Eat), the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Washington and Greater Baltimore, the Service Source Foundation and the Steve Harvey Foundation.

To download "Turn on a Smile," visit ChoiceHotelsMusic.com.

About Choice Hotels Music

Choice Hotels Music is an innovative initiative from Choice Hotels International that supports signature causes and artists by introducing new music to millions of listeners using the power of the company's leading edge marketing and distribution channels. Each song produced directly benefits a featured cause or charity through donations per download from choicehotels.com, and all music is produced to the artist's creative specifications and remains the ownership of the artist.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,100 hotels, representing more than 495,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 30 other countries and territories.  As of December 31, 2010, more than 500 hotels were under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 40,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 9,000 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in 18 other countries and territories.  The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide.  In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

Choice Hotels, Choice Hotels International, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn and Ascend Collection are proprietary trademarks and service marks of Choice Hotels International.

© 2011 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.