Doubletree Hotels help kids get wild in classrooms across the nation

Tigers, humpback whales, polar bears, and monarch butterflies – oh my! Not exactly Dorothy’s traveling troupe of friends, these threatened and endangered animals are all getting a little help from more than 10,000 grade school children across the U.S. and Canada this fall as part of a special education initiative.

Doubletree Hotels today announced an exclusive partnership with World Wildlife Fund, one of the world’s largest and most recognized conservation organizations, as a continuation of the hotel brand’s successful Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program. From now until December, thousands of kids will learn about the threats and challenges facing the world’s animal population today and encourage them to do their part to protect our planet’s wildlife.

“With more than 10,000 animals currently considered endangered and at risk of disappearing forever, our Doubletree Teaching Kids to CARE initiative empowers students to do their part to protect the world’s magnificent creatures,“ said Dave Horton, senior vice president – brand management, Doubletree. ”The effort kids are putting in to learn about and help save an endangered animal’s life as part of this program should inspire each of us to make a conscious effort to do our part in caring for our endangered species, whether in our own community, our own states and provinces, or around the world.”

Doubletree Hotels – with help from World Wildlife Fund – has developed an appropriately themed “Wild for Wildlife” initiative this Fall, complete with lesson plans and resources to participating schools to teach children about the importance of caring for and raising awareness about endangered animals. As part of the lesson plan, students will participate in interactive classroom demonstrations and discussions that aim to help the students discover simple ways to save species around the world by taking responsibility for and respecting the environment in which we all live.

After signing a pledge to do their part to protect endangered species, the class will symbolically adopt an endangered animal through World Wildlife Fund’s Animal Adoption Center, thereby joining thousands of students in classrooms nationwide who will adopt more than 1,000 endangered animals this fall. The funding for the adoptions – provided by Doubletree to support World Wildlife Fund –help fight the threats all endangered animals face, which can prevent animals like the ones symbolically adopted from disappearing forever.

“This initiative is providing children with an excellent opportunity to witness the impact our actions have on our environment and our planet’s wildlife,” said Terry Macko, vice president of membership for World Wildlife Fund. “We hope that through these efforts, the next generation will be inspired to make a difference now and in the future.”

Teaching Kids to CARE, a community-based outreach program developed by Doubletree Hotels, is dedicated to educate and encourage children to start making conscious decisions at an early age to show they care about their communities and the world in which they live. From its humble beginnings as a grass-roots initiative to the social responsibility projects it encourages today, the Teaching Kids to CARE program has grown to become a widely recognized and honored community service program. By spreading the hotel brand’s distinct CARE culture far and wide, Doubletree employees have inspired and educated nearly 100,000 elementary school children across the country, empowering them to make a difference in their local community, state, country and even the world. Celebrating its fifth year, Teaching Kids to CARE is a semi-annual community outreach initiative occurring in more than 150 communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Note to editors/journalists:
For information on more than 145 Teaching Kids to CARE Endangered Animal events happening across the U.S. and Canada through December, please contact Thomas Wingham at 310-205-3381 or thomas_wingham@hilton.com.

About Doubletree Hotels:
With a growing collection of contemporary, upscale accommodations in more than 160 gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America, Doubletree Hotels, Guest Suites and Resorts are distinctively designed properties that provide true comfort to today’s business and leisure travelers. From the millions of delighted hotel guests who are welcomed with the brand’s legendary, warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in to the advantages of the award-winning Hilton HHonors guest reward program, each Doubletree guest receives a satisfying stay wherever their travels take them. To make reservations at any Doubletree hotel, travelers can visit the Doubletree website, contact their preferred travel professional or call 1-800-222-TREE in the U.S. and Canada.

About World Wildlife Fund:
World Wildlife Fund is the largest conservation organization in the world. For 45 years, WWF has worked to save endangered species, protect endangered habitats, and address global threats such as deforestation, overfishing, and climate change. Known worldwide by its panda logo, WWF works in 100 countries on more than 2,000 conservation programs. WWF has 1.2 million members in the United States and nearly 5 million supporters worldwide. For more information on WWF, visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/.

Contact Information

Thomas Wingham

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Hilton Doubletree

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