The 9th Annual RCI Christel House Open was a great success! Geoff Balloti, CEO of RCI gave a motivational speech to start the participant’s day off. The golfers then enjoyed the beautiful golf course of Prairie View Golf Club, with refreshments and snacks along the way.
Three Christel House students, the principal of Christel House Academy, and Christel DeHaan joined in on the festivities for the day. The students rode around in golf carts, said hello to golfers, and even tried putting a few shots on the greens with the players.
A longest drive, closest to the pin, and a putting contest were the main attractions for the day in which the players could participate, and there were many different prizes that were given out periodically throughout the day. Nearly 1,800 golfers teed off from 17 tournament sites spanning 6 countries this year.
The Open included tournament sites in:
United States:
Boonville, NY
Breckenridge, CO
Carmel, IN
Daytona Beach, FL
Kissimmee, FL
Gatlinburg, TN
Myrtle Beach, SC
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Scottsdale, AZ
Shenandoah, VA
Vista, CA
Williamsburg, VA
International:
Bangalore, India
Cape Town, South Africa
Mexico City, Mexico
London, England
We thank the players, volunteers, and sponsors and for making this year’s tournament a fantastic success! We would like to give a special thanks to our Title Sponsor RCI, and Global Sponsors ARDA, Bluegreen Corporation, Convergys, FedEx, Harding Horman Group, NorthernTrust, Perspective Magazine, and Wyndham vacation ownership. Together, we're making a world of difference.
For regular updates going forward, connect with us on Facebook and Twitter! Labels: ARDA, Bluegreen Corporation, Christel House Open, Convergys, event, Fedex, golf, Harding Horman Group, Northern Trust, Perspective Magazine, RCI, Sponsors, Wyndham
Christel House is honored to be one of the three charities of choice for Wyndham Worldwide. This summer, Wyndham intern Catherine wrote about her experience working for an organization and what she learned about Christel House International. Although she hasn’t visited any of our Learning Centers, the stories of our students' struggles to break the cycle of poverty touched her heart.
“As Wyndham Worldwide employees, we have all had a hand in helping children …find more opportunities and reach their potential,” Catherine wrote. “I personally take pride in working for a company that is so devoted to giving back ….Helping others and knowing we have a true impact in this world is fulfilling, and helps give our own lives meaning. We are reminded that even small acts of kindness can add up to big change.”
Wyndham Worldwide, with the help of its Facebook fans, is once again showing its love for Christel House and its cause. For every new person who “likes” the Wyndham Worldwide Facebook page, the organization will make a contribution to Christel House and its other two signature charities. If Wyndham hits the goal of 60,000 new fans by November 30, 2010, it will donate $20,000 to Christel House. Does your dedication to ending generational poverty reflect Wyndhams? Take a few clicks of your mouse to "like" their page to make this donation a reality.
http://bit.ly/chrciww
Labels: Christel House, donate, facebook, social media, Wyndham
HELP MAKE A $20,000 DONATION TO CHRISTEL HOUSE POSSIBLE JUST BY CHECKING OUT THE NEW WYNDHAM WORLDWIDE FACEBOOK PAGE!
Do you have a Facebook page? If so, starting today, you can be a part of a global social media initiative to help the children of Christel House. If we help Wyndham Worldwide get 60,000 new Facebook fans, Wyndham will donate a cumulative $60,000 to its 3 signature "Wishes by Wyndham charities" – including Christel House!
Yes, that’s right…Wyndham has agreed to donate $1 for each new fan who “likes” its Facebook page! All you have to do is click here--
Wyndham Facebook Page-- and click “Like”. Christel House, the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps and Starlight Children’s Foundation will split the cumulative donation. That could equate to $20,000 to help the children of Christel House! Please help us hit the goal and spread the word by sharing this with your Facebook Friends!
Labels: Christel House, donate, global, Wyndham
By Catherine Reynolds, intern for Wyndham WorldwideWyndham Worldwide in Parsippany, NJ, has named Christel House as one of its three charities of choice. RCI, based in Carmel, Indiana, is owned by Wyndham Worldwide. Christel DeHaan, Founder of Christel House, started RCI in 1974. Today, RCI has more than three million members worldwide, who enjoy dream vacations at RCI's 3,700+ affiliated resorts.
Last night I watched the movie, “The Blind Side,” with my sister, and we were both touched and moved by this incredible true story. For those of you who haven’t seen it (and I highly recommend that you do), the movie is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a boy growing up homeless before he is taken in by a wealthy family. The Tuoy family adopts him, gives him an education and opens up all new opportunities for him, changing his life forever. In the movie, one of Mrs. Tuoy’s friends tells her, “You’re changing that boy’s life.” Mrs. Tuoy responds, “No. He’s changing mine.”
What struck me most about this story is that Michael’s situation is not all that uncommon – but the help the Tuoys gave him IS uncommon. The way that they supported him reminded me of Christel House, one of Wyndham Worldwide’s charities of choice, and the work Christel DeHaan and her team do for impoverished children around the world. While I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting a Christel House, I have had the opportunity to hear the stories of several of the children whose lives have been changed by Christel House: - When Rakshitha came to Christel House, her family did not have electricity. Christel House gave the family electricity so she could study at night. The work paid off: when she was in tenth grade, she went to Naples, Italy, when the student video she helped produce won a film festival prize.
- Frank recently graduated from Christel House Venezuela. When he came to Christel House, he wanted to be a bodyguard. Now he is studying electrical engineering at the prestigious Simon Bolivar University, where he was admitted in the top one percent of incoming freshman.
- Nontando is a 12th grader at Christel House South Africa, and received a scholarship to attend Culver Summer Leadership Camp in Culver, Indiana in 2007 and 2008. In South Africa, her home is so small, only two of the four family members can sleep inside at night.
As Wyndham Worldwide employees, we have all had a hand in helping children like Rakshitha, Frank and Nontando find more opportunities and reach their potential. I personally take pride in working for a company that is so devoted to giving back. Supporting this charity is not a completely selfless act. Helping others and knowing we have a true impact in this world is fulfilling, and helps give our own lives meaning. We are reminded that even small acts of kindness can add up to big change.Whose life are you changing? How are they changing yours?
Labels: Christel House, education, global, partner, Wyndham
Do you have a Facebook page? If so, starting today, you can be a part of a global social media initiative to help the children of Christel House. If we help Wyndham Worldwide get 60,000 new Facebook fans, Wyndham will donate a cumulative $60,000 to its 3 signature "Wishes by Wyndham charities" – including Christel House!
By Catherine Reynolds, intern for Wyndham Worldwide
