PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwired - Mar 25, 2014) RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of brands, announced today that it will return as the title sponsor of the RCI(R) Christel House Open International Charity Golf Tournament in 2014. This marks the eighth consecutive year that RCI has served as the title sponsor.
"The RCI Christel House Open has become a beacon of hope for people throughout our industry who support Christel House's mission to provide education, nutrition and care programs for some of the world's most impoverished children," said Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI. "Last year's tournament raised more than $550,000, all of which goes directly to those who need it most. With the help of our colleagues in the timeshare and hospitality industry, we hope to exceed that amount in 2014 and help provide even more children with the services and care they deserve."
The 2014 RCI Christel House Open kicks off on Saturday, May 17 in Palm Beach, Fla., and continues at 12 additional sites across North America, Europe and Africa. The event, which is celebrating its 12th year, welcomes thousands of golfers, sponsors and volunteers from around the world to raise funds and awareness for Christel House International. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event directly benefit children involved with the nonprofit organization.
Christel DeHaan, the co-founder of RCI, founded Christel House in 1998. The nonprofit aims to help its more than 4,000 children around the world break the cycle of poverty, realize their hopes and dreams, and become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. The organization operates Learning Centers in the U.S., India, Mexico and South Africa, and funds outreach programs in Serbia and Venezuela.
"When RCI was started 40 years ago, it operated with a business philosophy that emphasized innovation, creativity and the importance of customers and employees," said DeHaan. "RCI was known as an employer of choice and as a good corporate citizen. Today, RCI still reflects these cornerstone philosophies. As we prepare for our 12th annual Christel House Open, we express our heartfelt thanks to RCI as a generous and committed Title Sponsor."
Christel House and the RCI Christel House Open are strongly supported by developers, resorts and vendors in the timeshare industry, with worldwide proceeds exceeding $8.5 million since the tournament's inception. Christel House is also one of the three signature charities of Wishes by Wyndham, the philanthropic program of Wyndham Worldwide.
For more information on the RCI Christel House Open, please visit www.chopen.org.
About RCI
RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange with nearly 4,500 affiliated resorts in more than 100 countries. RCI pioneered the concept of vacation exchange in 1974, offering members increased flexibility and versatility with their vacation ownership experience. Today, through RCI(R) Weeks, the traditional week-for-week exchange system, and RCI Points(R) , the industry's first global points-based exchange system, RCI provides flexible vacation options to its approximately 3.7 million RCI subscribing members each year. RCI's luxury exchange program, The Registry Collection(R) , is the world's largest program of its kind with approximately 200 affiliated properties either accessible for exchange or under development on six continents. RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals and the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN). For additional information visit our media center, rciaffiliates.com or The RCI Blog. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
About Christel House International
Christel House International (CHI) is transforming how kids, their families and future generations permanently escape poverty. Much more than a school, CHI was established in 1998 by founder Christel DeHaan and currently serves over 4,000 impoverished children around the world. By providing high quality education, nutritious meals, regular health care, character and life skills development, and career counseling, CHI helps students grow into confident, hardworking and ethical young adults who give back to their families and communities. CHI operates six learning centers in India, Mexico, South Africa and the U.S., as well as a scholars program in Venezuela. For more information, please visit www.christelhouse.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
RCI
Steven Alessandrini
(973) 753-8278
Steven.Alessandrini@rci.com
RCI
Catherine Reynolds
(973) 752-4662
Catherine.Reynolds@rci.com