Washington, D.C., April 5, 2016 — Marking a record-breaking donation to the 2016 American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) Annual Giving campaign, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and the Carlson Family Foundation donated $40,000 in their seventh consecutive donation. The gift is a tremendous start to this year’s Annual Giving campaign and marks the highest gift donation to this life-changing campaign.     

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group in partnership with the Carlson Family Foundation, collectively donated more than $1.3 million to AH&LEF including its last two major capital giving campaigns. Additionally, they have been a cornerstone participant in AH&LEF’s annual fundraising events for more than a decade. 

“We understand the importance of giving back to our industry and continuing to foster strong talent,” said David P. Berg, chief executive officer, Carlson Hospitality Group. “Donating to AH&LEF has proven to yield incredible results and it is our duty and responsibility to support and encourage other leaders in our industry to follow a similar path.” 

“To start this year’s Annual Giving campaign with such a generous, record-breaking gift is truly remarkable. We are so grateful to Carlson and the Carlson Family Foundation for their ongoing support of AH&LEF and providing us with the ability to ensure we build on the work we’ve done over the years to support the broader industry and its current and future employees,” said Joori Jeon, AH&LEF president/COO. “With this incredible gift, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group and the Carlson Family Foundation have set the standard for the industry and we can only hope others follow in their footsteps.” 

The Annual Giving Campaign is AH&LEF’s key yearly fundraising initiative supported solely by the hospitality sector. 

AH&LEF is the not-for-profit affiliate of AH&LA and is funded solely by charitable donations from progressive hospitality leaders and companies within the industry. In 2015, AH&LEF disbursed more than $1.25 million to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality, to attract and retain talented industry professionals, and to fund valuable research for lodging properties. Since the Foundation’s inception, more than $20 million has been distributed through its scholarship, education, outreach, and research programs. 

For more information about donating, contact Michelle Poinelli, senior vice president of foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or mpoinelli@ahlef.org, or visit www.ahlef.org. 
 

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AH&LEF is the industry’s philanthropic organization, dedicated to helping people build careers that improve their lives and strengthen the lodging industry. Founded in 1953, AH&LEF is a subsidiary of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and provides resources for hospitality-related education and research.

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the 1.8 million-employee U.S. lodging industry, including hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, state hotel associations, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides focused advocacy, communications support, and educational resources for an industry generating $155.5 billion in annual sales from 4.9 million guestrooms.