The people who deserve a vacation the most are often the very last people who have the opportunity to take one, said Luba Plotnikoff, the marketing and media relations manager at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort in Parksville.
She said Tigh-Na-Mara wants to change all that with the Vacay It Forward Challenge.
"It's about recognizing and rewarding the inspirational actions of others, those who choose to celebrate what's right with the world and challenge tourism and hospitality colleagues to help build a mountain of change," said Plotnikoff.
"Those of us in the hospitality industry are in the business of creating wonderful experiences for our guests. We also value our special relationships within our communities by supporting a number of different charities. By creating the Vacay It Forward Challenge, Tigh-Na-Mara and our hospitality colleagues can work together to help make a difference and reward those who do so much to make the lives of others better.".
Tigh-Na-Mara is challenging seven hospitality properties to select the charity of their choice, determine a recipient and Vacay It Forward. Tigh-Na-Mara is providing accommodation, meals, treatments in our Grotto Spa, but each hotel can determine what vacation best fits the recipient and their property. It will then be up to each property to challenge three other resorts or hotels to participate. Every property challenged needs to be listed on the Vacay It Forward Facebook page (facebook.com/vacayitforward) and will then interactively share the charity and recipient's name as well as the names of the three hotels they are challenging.
To launch Vacay It Forward, Tigh-Na-Mara has selected two charity organizations: Variety — The Children's Charity, which raises funds and distributes grants throughout British Columbia to inspire hope, enrich lives and build a better future for children with special needs; and the Society of Organized Services (SOS), a volunteer-based, non-profit organization caring for people by offering programs, services and resources in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach Region.
Through collaboration with these charities, the first two Vacay It Forward recipients are:
• Ani Khoudian from Vancouver, who was recently named the 2015 Variety Parent Champion and received the 46th Variety Annual Heart Award.
• Allegra Jenkins of Parksville, a single mother of three young children, has had to face many obstacles. She is determine to rise above the odds and confides she would not be where she is today without the support of the SOS and her community. — NEWS Staff/TNM news release