Contact: Ken Ellens
Ken Ellens Communications
201-758-2864 / 201-758-2865-Fax
KenEllens@aol.com
Jan Still-Lindeman
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
404-487-5739
jslindeman@bgca.org

Benchmark Hospitality International Announces Partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs ofAmerica, Launching a
Nationwide Family Vacation Initiative

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Winston Churchill

The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, September 10, 2009 ... Benchmark Hospitality International has announced a new partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) on a nationwide Hometown Hospitality™ initiative providing 30 complimentary vacations to deserving families.

Hometown Hospitality is an outreach effort sponsored by Benchmark Hospitality International, a leading hospitality management company headquartered near Houston with properties coast-to-coast and in Hawaii. Through Hometown Hospitality, Benchmark reaches out to organizations, families and individuals in communities in which the company operates hotels and resorts with employee volunteer programs, in-kind donations and community activities.

For the first time since Benchmark launched Hometown Hospitality in 2004, the company is partnering with a national youth-serving organization – Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Based in Atlanta, BGCA is one of the nation’s most respected youth organizations, providing quality after-school programming to young people, ages 6 to 18.

Established in 1906, Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides a network of more than 4,300 community-based facilities with caring youth development professionals offering award-winning programs emphasizing academic success, healthy lifestyles and character and leadership. Through programs such as SMART Moves, Power Hour, Club Tech and Youth of the Year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, its dedicated staff and a vast network of volunteers help young people successfully navigate the path to a productive, healthy, and satisfying adulthood.

"We are excited about this national effort to help Boys & Girls Club members and their families enjoy a wonderful vacation," said Burt Cabañas, chairman and CEO of Benchmark Hospitality International, "and we are pleased to be partnering with such an impressive organization. Boys & Girls Clubs fill the needs of kids for healthy adult interaction, mentoring and positive role-models. As I know what it's like to grow up without a parent, I'm so appreciative that Boys & Girl Clubs exist and that we can be a part of helping members and their families."

Benchmark's internal champion for Hometown Hospitality, Vice President and General Manager Laura Neumann, who is Board Chairperson for the Pikes Peak region Boys & Girls Club added, "Our Hometown Hospitality program is predicated on the knowledge that for many, the word 'hometown' evokes images of safe neighborhoods, close families and friends, and kids without a care playing catch. But this is not everyone's experience." Ms. Neumann continued on to say, "there are too many individuals who are less privileged, but desire a sense of hope, belonging and usefulness. All they need is a safe place that offers respect, guidance… and an occasional helping hand in order to reach their full potential.” Reflecting further, Neumann stated, “this is why Boys & Girls Clubs of America is so important -- because they step up and provide a safe environment where kids can have fun, be themselves, and engage in activities that channel youthful energy into challenging pursuits.”

"We are extremely grateful to Benchmark Hospitality for offering such a wonderful opportunity for our Club members and their families," said Boys & Girls Clubs of America President/CEO Roxanne Spillett. "We know that strong, healthy families are critical to the young people we serve and these complimentary vacations will provide stress-free, fun-filled times for both."

Through the national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Benchmark Hospitality’s hotels and resorts will provide 30 families from the BGCA network of local Clubs complimentary Family Road Trip Vacations at Benchmark’s hotels and resorts. These 3 – 5 day and night vacations for a family of four at Benchmark properties across the United States will include guest accommodations, three meals each day, full access to recreation amenities, and access to several local destination attractions as well. Also, $100 in gas cards will be provided compliments of Shell Oil Company to each family to help cover transportation costs.

How Boys & Girls Club Families Can Apply

Benchmark Hospitality and Boys & Girls Clubs of America invite interested vacation-ready families who may have thought a trip was not possible this year, and who are affiliated with a local Boys & Girls Club in regions where Benchmark operates hotels and resorts, to complete a brief application form available online atwww.benchmarkhospitality.com/BGCAfamilyvacationby October 4th. On the application, families are asked to include their story in 200-500 words for the consideration by BGCA.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America will review each family’s story and forward final recommendations to Benchmark Hospitality International. Families will be informed of their selection for a vacation in late November.

Benchmark properties participating in the Family Road Trip Vacations Hometown Hospitality program include, by state:

Since giving is as important as receiving, as part of the Family Road Trip Vacations Hometown Hospitality initiative, Benchmark Hospitality will request each family participate in four hours of light service to their local community, side-by-side with the Benchmark Hospitality staff.

“Benchmark has been engaging in Hometown Hospitality programs for many years in our local communities,” concluded Mr. Cabañas. “This is the first time we’ve reached outside our company to bring hometown hospitality to a broader group of people. It is such a privilege to partner with an organization that is as supportive of our nation’s youth as Boys & Girls Clubs of America.”

About Boys & Girls Clubs ofAmerica
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has helped kids "Be Great," providing hope and opportunity for those who need it most. Today, more than 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.5 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military bases worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About Hometown Hospitality Caring For Our Communities
The “Hometown Hospitality Caring For Our Communities” program of Benchmark Hospitality International advances the philanthropic endeavors of the leading hospitality management company through employee volunteer programs, in-kind donations and community outreach activities. Benchmark believes that responsible corporate citizenship recognizes the inalienable link between a healthy and vibrant community and the health and well being of a company and its employees. Hometown Hospitality Caring for Our Communities encourages and enables Benchmark employees globally to seek leading roles in the communities in which they live and work and the world community as well by supporting social, educational, and cultural programs, either through property-developed initiatives or through partnering with existing services.

About Benchmark Hospitality International
Benchmark Hospitality International is a leader in the management and marketing of resorts, conference centers, hotels, and Personal Luxury Hotels™. The privately held company, launched in 1980, is a founding member of the International Association of Conference Centers.Benchmark Hospitality is a worldwide organization operating propertiesin major metropolitan and resort destinations. Benchmark'sinternational headquartersis locatedinThe Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, withregional offices in New Jersey and Connecticut. Internationaloffices arelocatedin Tokyo, Japan, and Santiago, Chile. For the location of Benchmark’s properties and additional information, visit www.benchmarkhospitality.com.

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