We Donate. You Choose. Loews Hotels Supports Local Education

NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Loews Hotels is jump-starting the 2011 academic school year in partnership with DonorsChoose.org, a web-based not-for-profit that enables individual donors to provide essential classroom tools for public schools in need.

On Friday, August 19 each of the 16 American hotels will invite guests to visit the DonorsChoose.org school desk in the lobby to help allocate the hotel's charitable funds to a classroom project of their choice.

One hundred percent of the hotels' funds—approximately $100,000— will be donated over the course of the day in communities across the country from New York City to San Diego.

"Classroom supplies are the foundation of a child's success but, due to budget cuts, many teachers are severely lacking the basic tools they need," said Nancy Mendelson, Loews Hotels Senior Vice President Branding & Communication. "This back to school effort will allow our guests to experience the power of DonorsChoose.org in supporting education and empowering children."

Public school teachers in the United States spent more than $1.33 billion out of pocket on school supplies and instructional materials in the 2009-2010 school year, according to researched released in June 2010 by the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA), a trade association for educational product companies.

"We are thrilled with the tremendous support of Loews Hotels in helping teachers across the country acquire the materials and resources their students need in the classroom, especially at the start of the school year," said Charles Best, CEO of DonorsChoose.org.

In 2010, Loews Hotels celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Good Neighbor program by partnering with DonorsChoose.org in an effort to improve public education. Over the last year and a half, Loews' team members have raised funds by organizing car washes, bake sales, golf tournaments and making individual donations to support education in their local communities. Loews Hotels impacted more than 60,000 students in 2010 with over $130,000 in donations.

About DonorsChoose.org

Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org (www.donorschoose.org) is a nonprofit website where public school teachers describe specific educational projects for their students, and donors can choose the projects they want to support. After completing a project, the donor hears back from the classroom they supported in the form of photographs and teacher thank-you letters. To date, 185,000 public and charter school teachers have used the site to secure funding for $85 million in books, art supplies, technology, and other resources that their students need to learn. Through DonorsChoose.org, individuals from all walks of life have helped 5 million students.

About Loews Hotels

Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada, including the newest 414-room Loews Atlanta Hotel opened April 1, 2010.  Located in major city centers and resort destinations from coast to coast, the Loews portfolio features one-of-a-kind properties that go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience.  Loews boasts some of the industry's most innovative and successful travel programs, including Loews Loves Kids for families and Loews Loves Pets for discerning animals on the road.  For reservations or more information on Loews Hotels, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com.  

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SOURCE Loews Hotels