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ORLANDO, FLA. (Nov. 13, 2020) – Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated, a national vacation ownership company, today announced it is an official corporate partner for Night of a Million Lights, a walk-through holiday light spectacular hosted by Give Kids The World Village. Through the partnership, Holiday Inn Club Vacations adopted a villa and decorated it with thousands of lights and a multi-system projection display.
The Holiday Inn Club Vacations Construction, Design and Development, Corporate Branding, IT and Resort Operations teams worked together to create a travel-themed villa that pays homage to the road trips that Kemmons Wilson, the Company’s founder, often took with his family.
“Bringing families together through travel is the core of what we do at Holiday Inn Club Vacations, so we are always excited to partner with Give Kids The World, an irreplaceable staple in our community that grants brave children and their families the vacation of a lifetime,” said Gary Rall, Vice President of Construction, Design and Development at Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated. “We’re extremely grateful to be a part of Night of a Million Lights. Not only is the event a fun and safe way for families to celebrate the holiday season, but it also supports an important and deserving organization.”
Taking place every night from Nov. 13, 2020 through Jan. 3, 2021, Night of a Million Lights brings an immersive experience to the 89-acre Village with more than three million lights, festive sounds and music, a 150-foot tunnel leading to 45 decorated villas and more than 50 holiday-themed wireframes and structures. Attendees can also enjoy complimentary hot cocoa and ice cream, along with most of the Village’s wheelchair-accessible rides and attractions. Proceeds from the event will support Give Kids The World, allowing the organization to resume providing weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families once the Village reopens.
“While the Village has been closed since mid-March due to the pandemic, we have not stopped working alongside our many great community and corporate partners to prepare for the day we can safely reopen and resume granting the thousands of wishes that have been delayed,” said Pamela Landwirth, President and CEO at Give Kids The World Village. “We are grateful to all the volunteers and partners who helped put together Night of a Million Lights. And, we cannot wait to welcome our community to the Village to experience this joyful holiday celebration for themselves.”
Ahead of opening night, Holiday Inn Club Vacations brought a few of its Club members and their families out to Give Kids The World Village for an exclusive first-look of the decorated villa and a preview of the event’s light display. After expressing interest via the Company’s Club member Facebook Lounge, two families were randomly selected to attend the preview and enjoy the holiday festivities early. The families also had an opportunity to meet Landwirth and learn more about Give Kids The World and its important work.
Holiday Inn Club members since 2008, the Bergen family was one of the groups selected to participate in the preview event. Visiting the Give Kids The World Village was very special for the family, and in particular, Kyle Bergen.
“As a former Make-A-Wish child, it’s touching to get to come here and hear about all the work they’ve put in to make all other Wish children’s experiences great,” said Bergen. “[Give Kids The World] has this down to a science, and I’m just amazed at how they really go the extra mile to make sure that every kid who comes through here has an amazing experience and that they can continue to do this for as many kids as possible in the future. It’s really, really incredible!”
A longstanding partner of Give Kids The World, Holiday Inn Club Vacations has supported the nonprofit since it was founded more than 30 years ago. In addition to providing direct financial contribution, the Company participates in various fundraising initiatives and events for the organization.
For more information on Night of a Million Lights and to order event tickets, visit gktw.org/lights.
About Give Kids The World Village
Give Kids The World Village is an 89-acre, nonprofit resort built exclusively to serve critically-ill children and their families. Children visiting Central Florida on their “wish trips,” stay with their families at Give Kids The World’s storybook Village for week-long, dream vacations. Give Kids The World provides meals, transportation, nightly entertainment, and complimentary passes to Orlando’s world-famous theme parks and other attractions. There is never any charge to visiting families, and no child is ever turned away. Since 1986, Give Kids The World Village has served more than 176,000 children and families from all 50 states and more than 75 countries. GKTW is four-star rated by Charity Navigator, with more than 92 cents of every dollar it spends going to program services.
About Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated
Encompassing 29 resorts, 7,900 villas in 14 U.S. states and more than 365,000 timeshare owners, Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated is a resort, real estate and travel company with a mission to be the most loved brand in family travel by delivering easy-to-plan, memorable vacation experiences that strengthen families.
Based in Orlando, Fla., the Company has been a leader in the vacation ownership industry since 1982, when it was established by Holiday Inn® founder Kemmons Wilson with the opening of the Company’s flagship property, Holiday Inn Club Vacations® at Orange Lake Resort next to Orlando’s Walt Disney World® Resort.
Today, the Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort portfolio spans the Eastern and Central United States, with a growing presence in desirable Western U.S. destinations. Throughout its history, the Company has maintained the core family values true to its majority ownership by the Wilson family, while aggressively pursuing growth, transforming its member engagement model and building an industry-leading team passionate about the guest experience.