(Updated 2/2/10)
The hospitality design industry is coming together to help the victims of the massive Haiti earthquake in a number of ways. Here’s how restaurants, hotels, and design firms and manufacturers are offering aid to the devastated country:
WAC Lighting and its employees have donated $30,000 to Haiti earthquake victims.
The Maho Group in St. Maarten has established a Haiti Relief Fund at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino, Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort & Casino and Royal Islander Club’s La Terrasse and La Plage resorts through February 28, where guests can give a voluntary $1 per room, per each day of their stay. The Maho Group will match that donation on a daily basis in an effort to raise $50,000 in relief. All funds will be donated to regional chapters of the Red Cross and UNICEF.
SBE has launched SBE for Haiti, a charitable campaign where the restaurant company will donate 100 percent of dollars raised to GLOBAL GREEN USA. A percentage of all profits from SBE Restaurant and Nightlife properties will be donated to the cause. Donations are also accepted by adding them to guest checks.
Stray Dog Designs has created the Stray Dog Designs Haitian Worker Relief Fund to offer help that will go directly to its workers, many of whom may be displaced, injured, homeless, or otherwise affected by the earthquake. Stray Dog Designs will match 50 cents on every dollar raised up to $10,000. Since 2005, the company has had a strong connection on the island, where artisans and workers make its papier mache products.
The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, is teaming up with American Airlines and its regional carrier, American Eagle, to fund the delivery of supplies to earthquake victims. The foundation will underwrite the cost of 10 humanitarian relief flights from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Haiti. American will coordinate the relief supplies for these flights. The missions will commence on February 2 and will continue three times per week through February 23.
Sage Hospitality is supporting the efforts of the American Red Cross by donating $10 for each overnight stay. Click here for more information about the "Relief Rate" available at all 54 Sage hotels.
Arzu Studio Hope will donate 25 percent of all its rug sales purchased online until January 31 to Partners in Health, Haiti’s largest provider of rural health care.
Starwood Preferred Guests (SPG) members can donate their points to American Red Cross relief efforts. 4,000 points is $50 dollars, 8,000 points is $100, 12,000 points is $150, and 16,000 points is $200. SPG also will match Starpoint contributions made to the Red Cross through February 15.
Luxury bedding company SFERRA will donate 10 percent of all orders received between now and January 30 to Partners in Health. Or donate directly here.
Doubletree Hotels has made a $50,000 donation on behalf of its Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program to Friends of the World Food Program.
Virgin Vacations has teamed up with Virgin Unite, the nonprofit foundation of the Virgin Group, to donate $5 per booking through VirginVacations.com until February 28.
Hospitality PR firm Bullfrog & Baum‘s restaurant clients are participating in a number of initiatives. New York restaurants Anella, Cookshop, Delicatessen, Five Points, Hundred Acres, Mermaid Inn, Mermaid Oyster Bar, and Motorino participated in Dine Out For Haiti, where they donated 10 percent of their sales on January 24 to aid organizations. In addition, restaurants Alto, Convivo, and Marea donated 10 percent of their sales on January 25 to the United Nations World Food Program.
Other participating restaurants include:
- one sixtyblue in Chicago offered diners the option to add $1 to their checks to benefit Heartland Alliance’s Haitian relief efforts.
- Sprinkles Cupcakes raised $20,000 for the Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund on January 16 by allocating 100 percent of proceeds from all red velvet cupcakes sold at its five stores to charity.
- STARR Restaurants donated 10 percent of gross sales from meals purchased on January 25 at its Atlantic City, New York, and Philadelphia locations to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF).
- BLT Steak LA will donate $10 from every bottle of wine purchased at from now until the end of January to Haiti relief funds.
