Marriott Hotels Give Back
10th Annual SERVE Our Communities Day

Contact: Lindsey Sempsrott, PR, 3H Group 423.693.5959 lsempsrott@3hgrouphotels.com     
Release: Upon Receipt

3H GROUP PARTNERS WITH UNITED WAY
VOLUNTEER CENTER ON MARRIOTT’S
“SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES DAY”

Chattanooga, TN – 3H Group’s Chattanooga hotels (Residence Inn & Conference Center by Marriott near Hamilton Place; Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Chattanooga South/East Ridge; Fairfield Inn by Marriott Shallowford; and Staybridge Suites Downtown, Days Inn Rivergate) and their corporate staff, along with employees from Shaner Corporation, the Chattanooga Marriott at the Convention Center and the Courtyard by Marriott I-75, will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of “Spirit To Serve Our Communities Day” by volunteering on Wednesday May 13, 2009, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. These Marriott volunteers will each give two hours as they work on five different projects – four at United Way of Greater Chattanooga partner agencies and one at Crabtree Farms.

This event is part of Marriott International’s worldwide initiative that enlists 146,000 employees from over 3,100 locations in 66 countries to deliver community service through volunteerism. Business leaders from all Marriott brands and businesses have pledged to dedicate a day to helping others during or close to the third week of May. 3H Group, Inc., a local hotel development and management company, partnered with United Way’s Volunteer Center for Marriott’s “Spirit to Serve Our Communities Day” and invited the staffs at Shaner Corporation, the Chattanooga Marriott at the Convention Center and Courtyard by Marriott I-75 to join them

“By giving associates the opportunity to give back to their local areas, we carry on Marriott’s eighty one year history and deep commitment to community involvement,” said 3H Group Director of Operations Bob Dollinger. “We want to help make Chattanooga and every community where Marriott operates, a better place to live and work.”

The four United Way partner agencies that will benefit from Marriott’s volunteer work were asked to submit service projects requests to fulfill some of their greatest needs during this time. Along with Crabtree Farms, these projects also fulfill Marriott’s focus areas that fall under the Marriott Serve platform. The four United Way partner agencies are: the Salvation Army, Orange Grove, Children’s Home/Chambliss Shelter, and the AIM Center.

“United Way’s Volunteer Center is always thrilled to work with companies like 3H Group, Shaner Corporation and Marriott to create a customized volunteer event for their employees,” said Windy Brooks, Director of United Way’s Volunteer Center. “It’s our hope that other companies will follow 3H Group’s lead and create a day of volunteer service for their own employees too.”

Now celebrating its 10^th anniversary, Spirit to Serve Our Communities Day has been a key component of Marriott’s company-wide commitment to helping others, called “Spirit to Serve Our Communities.”  Marriott aligns community engagement activities under the SERVE platform to focus on five key areas:

Ø  Shelter and Food (sorting, organizing and cleaning at Salvation Army)

Ø  Environment (weeding and planting at Crabtree Farms)

Ø  Readiness for Hotel Careers (administrative work at Orange Grove)

Ø  Vitality of Children (painting and cleaning at Children's Home/Chambliss Cntr.)

Ø  Embracing Global Diversity and Inclusion (assisting with clients and facilities at AIM)

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for a company overview.

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Marriott’s “Spirit to Serve Our Communities Day”

Recommended Work Sites for Wednesday, May 13

Work scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

United Way recommended Work Site of the Day:

Organizing and inventory work at Salvation Army site on McCallie Avenue

This site is highly recommended for B-roll of volunteers working on UW projects.

1 Alternative Volunteer Site: