RCL Volunteer Day!
Ray Goldenberg
I received this press release from Royal Caribbean and thought it may
be of interest. I hope the writer of this press release was getting
paid by the word. If so, he could take us all on a cruise. <g>
If you have missed any of my news' postings, they are archived on my
web site.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Conducts Fourth Annual Volunteer Day
Saturday -- Projects in Florida, Kansas, New York, California, Hawaii,
Alaska, Mexico, and the Caribbean
MIAMI, April 27
More than 1,500 employees, family members and friends of Royal
Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises will be repainting,
replanting, refurbishing tomorrow in communities from Puerto Rico to
Florida to Kansas to Alaska, in the largest annual community service
event held by a single Florida company.
For the fourth year, the volunteers will spend a day off donating
their time and energy to one of 36 non-profit organizations in the
U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean. Their efforts are part of the
company's annual G.I.V.E. corporate volunteer day. G.I.V.E. stands for
``Get Involved Volunteer Everywhere'' and is part of the global cruise
company's outreach efforts in areas where they operate.
The employees will spend their Saturday assisting non-profit
organizations that focus on helping children and families in need,
improving education, and conserving our environment. Their activities
will be as diverse as:
* Replanting native vegetation at Cape Florida State Park on Key
Biscayne
in South Florida.
* Planting, landscaping and repairing playground equipment at the
Ritchie
Family Center in Wichita, Kansas.
* Escorting children from Girls and Boys Town in New York City for
a tour
and lunch onboard the Celebrity Cruises ship Zenith, in New York
harbor.
* Refurbishing, painting and landscaping facilities at Rebecca's
House,
which assists elderly homeless people in Nassau, Bahamas.
``I am very happy that we can assist so many different people through
the generosity being shown by our employees,'' said Richard D. Fain,
chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
``This year, our G.I.V.E. Day activities expand far beyond South
Florida. I thank our employees and their families and friends for
volunteering their time and energy to the communities in which we live
and work.''
The cruise company's employees were given the opportunity to perform
their volunteer work for one of 36 non-profit organizations. (A list
of the 36 organizations and their locations is attached.) Twenty-three
of the non- profits are in South Florida; three are in Wichita,
Kansas, where the company maintains a reservations center; and 10
others are being assisted in New York City; Anchorage; Kalua Kona,
Hawaii; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Cabo
San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico; and Nassau and Coco Cay, Bahamas.
This year's G.I.V.E. Day is being conducted in conjunction with the
United Nations' International Year of Volunteers, being observed
during 2001. The International Year of Volunteers is a U.N. initiative
to highlight the achievements of millions of volunteers worldwide and
to encourage more people globally to engage in volunteer activity.
Locally, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises
coordinate G.I.V.E. Day activities with the help of Hands On Miami.
The volunteer organization was created in 1993 to provide a
user-friendly approach to community service. Hands On Miami creates
flexibly-scheduled, meaningful direct-service volunteer opportunities
in partnership with schools, social service and environmental
organizations and businesses.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a global cruise vacation company that
operates Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal
Celebrity Tours. Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises
have a combined total of 21 ships in service and eight under
construction or on firm order. Royal Celebrity Tours operates
cruise-tour vacations in Alaska utilizing the world's largest
glass-domed railcars. Additional information can be found on
www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com or
www.rclinvestor.com.
MEDIA PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
All media are welcome to visit any of the locations below to shoot
video or photos and interview participants. There is a Project
Coordinator at each site to assist media.
36 PARTICIPATING NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
23 South Florida Organizations
1 - Allapattah NET Office (Neighborhood Enhancement Team)
Mission: NET offices and the City of Miami Police Department work
together to improve safety and community issues.
Needs: Beautification of historic Wagner Creek. Banks of creek need to
be cleaned up, trees cut back, and minor landscaping will add to the
beauty. Waste Management and FP&L will assist with chain saws,
chippers and dumpsters. The creek travels for 10 to 12 blocks through
Section 8 Housing and elderly and veteran living facilities, and
enters into the Miami River. The neighborhood will enjoy the beauty of
Wagner Creek after the work is done.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 40
Location: Miami-Dade County (South Allapattah)
2 - American Littoral Society
Mission: A non-profit organization devoted to restoring and preserving
coastal habitats. In Miami, the Society sponsors Project Reefkeeper
and the Cape Florida Project, a volunteer-driven ecological
restoration of a coastal barrier island park.
Needs: To help restore native plant communities in Cape Florida State
Park. A large area needs to be replanted due to the damage of
Hurricane Andrew. Activities include exotic plant removal and
replacing the exotics with native species.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 90
Location: Miami-Dade County (Key Biscayne)
3 - Carver Ranches Day Care
Mission: To provide quality day care and after school care for
children from low-income families.
Needs: Painting colorful murals in the classrooms and on the front of
the building. Planting flowers and shrubs, and flower boxes to
brighten up the center and its surrounding under-served neighborhood.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 20
Location: Broward County (Hollywood)
4 - Children's Home Society (CHS)
Mission: To provide a safe and loving environment for abused or
neglected babies, children and teens. Needs: A field trip to the
Seaquarium. Volunteers will spend the day watching the dolphins and
sea turtles while spending some individualized time and having lunch
with a group of children that could not ordinarily have this
experience.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 40
Location: Miami-Dade County
5 - Dania Elementary School
Mission: A ``Title I'' Public School that is geared mostly towards
at-risk children from low-income families.
Needs: Transform the cafeteria into a magical beach environment by
painting colorful murals of dolphins, the school mascot and tropical
scenes. Beautification will also include landscaping and clean up of
campus areas near the cafeteria.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 60
Location: Broward County (Dania)
6 - Excellence By Choice (OUTING)
Mission: To create, manage and support community technology in South
Florida, especially for under-served areas.
Needs: Take a group of at risk children (elementary school age) on an
adventure aboard a Royal Caribbean International vessel. Volunteers
will have lunch with their guest, while enjoying the excitement of
touring a ship with a group that could not ordinarily have this
experience.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 15
Location: Miami
7 - Excellence By Choice (Physical)
Mission: To create, manage and support community technology in South
Florida, especially for under-served areas.
Needs: Painting murals to brighten up computer labs, activity rooms
and study areas in this under-served community. Volunteers will also
create a small educational garden or butterfly garden in the
courtyard.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 15
Location: Miami-Dade County (Liberty City)
8 - Food for Life Network
Mission: To help feed low-income men, women, and children living with
HIV/AIDS.
Needs: Volunteers are needed to brighten up this Food Bank by painting
the exterior of the building. A small group of volunteers will also
help with packing groceries in the food bank.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 25
Location: Miami-Dade County (Design District)
9 - In partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary
Mission: Maintaining the ecological needs of Florida and protecting
the state's exceptional lands, waters, plants and animals.
Needs: To clean the man-made debris in the areas of the ship wreck
``City of Washington'' and the North North Dry Rocks reef, both off
Key Largo.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 10
Location: Key Largo, Florida
10 - Hialeah Middle School
Mission: A Miami-Dade Public School where students achieve remarkable
excellence with the help and support of parents, teachers and peers.
Needs: To improve school spirit by painting room numbers and school
logos on eight portable classrooms. Volunteers will also brighten up
the area with some attractive landscaping.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 30
Location: Miami-Dade County (Hialeah)
11 - Hialeah Senior High School
Mission: To provide an atmosphere of academic and technological
growth, so that students can work to reach their full potential.
Needs: Beautify the campus by painting benches outside lunch area with
school colors, and landscape adjacent garden areas. The school also
has several portable classrooms that have to be painted in colors
matching the main building. In addition, the main office from the
school needs to be painted on its interior.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 35
Location: Miami-Dade County (Hialeah)
12 - Humane Society
Mission: To serve and protect the animals of Miami-Dade County by
providing humane care and shelter. The society also offers education
on pet ownership and works to eliminate cruelty to animals.
Needs: Paint colorful murals inside the building and brighten up the
animal shelter by painting the exterior of the building too.
Volunteers can also help with landscaping the grounds and by bathing
and exercising the dogs.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 25
Location: Miami-Dade County (Little River)
13 - I Have A Dream Foundation
Mission: The I Have a Dream Foundation has made a commitment to a
group of students at Charles Drew Elementary in Liberty City by
guaranteeing them scholarships for college if they graduate from high
school.
Needs: Take a group of at risk children on an adventure aboard a Royal
Caribbean International vessel. Volunteers will have lunch with their
guest, while enjoying the excitement of touring a ship with a group
that could not ordinarily have this experience.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 215
Location: Miami-Dade County
14 - KIDCO I
Mission: A non-profit agency that provides quality childcare for
babies and children from low-income families.
Needs: Volunteers will help create a warm and bright playground area
by painting decorative murals and re-mulching the playground and the
garden.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 45
Location: Miami-Dade County (Design District)
15 - KIDCO IV at Corporate Academy North
Mission: A non-profit agency that provides quality childcare for
babies and children from low-income families.
Needs: Volunteer painters are needed to brighten up the center's
classrooms. The basketball courts need to be refreshed: outline and
paint with the school colors. Volunteers are also needed to help
create a Hop Scotch court and landscape the playground area.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 32
Location: Miami-Dade County (Wynnewood)
16 - Little Shavers (Family Central Center)
Mission: To strengthen and preserve families by providing
cost-effective, subsidized childcare services that nurture each
child's well being and potential.
Needs: The center needs to be revitalized to meet accreditation
standards, however much work is needed before then. The interior needs
to be painted, bathrooms and hallways need murals painted, and
bookshelves need to be sanded and painted. The exterior and chain link
fence will be painted with warm Caribbean colors, the playground needs
to be mulched, landscaped, a Hop Scotch court needs to be created,
several murals will also be painted to brighten this playground area.
Help beautify the front of this facility with a flowerbed and shrubs
that will welcome the children of this facility each morning.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 150
Location: Broward County (Davie/Hollywood)
17 - Mental Health Association
Mission: Promote mental health and prevention of mental illness
through the implementation of programs that aid in the treatment and
prevention of mental illness. They do this programming to address the
needs of homeless, at-risk children, HIV/AIDS patients and families
affected by mental illness. They also provide general education about
wellness to the community. All services are free of charge to the
community. Two of their well known programs A Women's Place and A
Kid's Place day centers are run through this location.
Needs: Take a group of at-risk kids ranging from 3 - 12 years of age
on an adventurous day to the Miami Seaquarium. Volunteers will have
lunch with the kids while enjoying the hilarious shows offered at the
Miami Seaquarium.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 23
Location: Miami-Dade County
18 - Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services
Mission: An emergency shelter for abused and runaway teens that
provides counseling to redirect young lives and repair broken
families.
Needs: Join a group of teens on a Career Day tour of a Royal Caribbean
International vessel. Volunteers will have lunch with their guests,
while enjoying the excitement of touring a ship and exposing the group
to new and different career opportunities.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 21
Location: Miami-Dade County
19 - North Hialeah Elementary School
Mission: A Miami-Dade Public School where faculty and parents motivate
students to maximize their academic potential and social and moral
growth.
Needs: This is a great school, but with very little color. We have
found ways that we can add some color to the whole school, not just
one area. Projects include painting murals of children in the
hallways. Painting all doors. Painting the outside of portables.
Painting mural of school crest. Painting basketball backboards and
repainting the boundary lines on the court. Painting outdoor play
area. Painting murals of children in the cafeteria.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 40
Location: Miami-Dade County (North Hialeah)
20 - Roots In The City
Mission: To beautify the inner city neighborhoods of Overtown by
employing low-income residents to help maintain gardens.
Needs: The embankment of the I-95 and 395 expressways will be
landscaped to enhance the appearance of the neighborhood. Volunteers
will landscape newly created gardens.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 10
Location: Miami-Dade County (Overtown)
21 - SOS Children's Village
Mission: Provides permanent homes, loving parents and siblings, a
supportive neighborhood, and special resources for children unlikely
to be adopted or returned to their birth families.
Needs: An outing for the children who live in this village, to give
them a chance to experience something new and different. The children
would love to tour a Celebrity Cruises ship and have lunch on board.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 20
Location: SE Broward County (Port Everglades area)
22 - Virginia Key Beach & Park Clean-up
Mission: Virginia Key Beach and Park was once the only beach in
Miami-Dade that was open to African Americans during the time of
segregation in the South. The park is closed now, except for special
events, until the park is revitalized.
Needs: Volunteers are needed to assist in the clean-up and
revitalization of the nature trails and beach, replanting native
vegetation, and creating signs to designate plants and specific
locations within the park. The volunteers will also have the benefit
of learning about the park and beach's history, along with volunteers
from other organizations that will be working on-site the same day.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 130
Location: Miami-Dade County (the Key just before Key Biscayne)
23 - West Broward Care Center
Mission: Volunteers and the community work together to provide quality
care for elderly and disabled residents, making them feel truly cared
about.
Needs: Showcase your talents (singing, dancing, etc.) to entertain or
bring your family out to socialize with the residents. Spanish
speaking, friendly visitors are especially welcome.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 22
Location: West Broward
Three Wichita Organizations
24 - City of Wichita - Greening of Wichita Program
Mission: To provide the vision, leadership, structure and funding to
fully ``forest'' the City of Wichita``.
Needs: To plant 1,000 trees throughout the city of Wichita with the
Veterans Memorial Park being the main project location. The National
Tree Trust is donating 1,000 trees to be planted for the ``foresting''
and beautification of the city.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 120
Location: Auburn Hills Golf Course
25 - KidsZooFit
Mission: The Children's Miracle Network strives to help sick and
injured children by providing children needed assistance in their
greatest time of need. KidsZooFit is a great learning opportunity for
the entire family with 70 health-related booths and a fun run for kids
ages 3-13. This is a fun learning environment at the Sedgwick County
Zoo.
Needs: Assist guests at the Via Christi - Children's Miracle Network
children's fair at Sedgwick County Zoo. This includes handing out maps
of the booth locations, greeting kids as they enter the zoo, helping
with general information about the children's fair, etc.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 16
Location: Sedgwick County Zoo
26 - Rainbows United, Inc.
Mission: Committed to enhancing the lives of children with or at-risk
for disabilities through customized preventive, evaluative,
educational and therapeutic interventions and supportive
family-centered services.
Needs: Help renovate part of the Ritchie Family Center. Work includes
interior and exterior painting, working on the playground equipment
and landscaping.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 15
Location: 4531 E. 37th St. North
Ten Other Locations and Organizations
27 - Celebrity Cruises' ship Zenith - New York City 40 children from
Girls and Boys Town in New York City will visit the cruise ship for a
complete tour, fun and games and lunch with crew members. Girls and
Boys Town provides emergency shelter, family living services, in-home
family crisis aid, foster family care, and parenting assistance to
families and children in need.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 25
28 - Celebrity Cruises' ship Horizon - New York City 75 children from
Covenant House in New York City will visit the cruise ship for a
complete tour, fun and games and lunch with crew members. Covenant
House offers 24-hour a day comprehensive service to aid adolescents
dealing with poverty, lack of education, substance abuse, mental
health, job skills and other issues.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 15
29 - Celebrity Cruises' ship Galaxy - San Juan, Puerto Rico 17 middle
school students from Colegio San Augustin will visit the cruise ship
for a complete tour, fun and games and lunch with crew members.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 20
30 - Celebrity Cruises' ship Mercury - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 30
children from Desarrollo Integral de la Familia will visit the cruise
ship for a complete tour, fun and games and lunch with crew members.
Desarrollo Integral de la Familia assists troubled families with
developmental skills, with a focus on children in need.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 20
31 - Royal Caribbean International's ship Majesty of the Seas -
Nassau,
Bahamas Refurbish, paint and landscape facilities at Rebecca's House,
in Nassau, which is a homeless shelter that specializes in assisting
elderly people.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 55
32 - Royal Caribbean International's ship Nordic Empress - St. Thomas,
U.S. Virgin Islands 30 children, 3 to 6 years old, from the
Developmental Learning Center of St. Thomas will visit the cruise ship
for a complete tour, fun and games and lunch with crew members. The
ship has raised $1,000 for new playground equipment for this
pre-school.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 30
33 - Royal Caribbean International's ship Rhapsody of the Seas - Kalua
Kona, Hawaii 100 children from the West Hawaii Foster Children
organization will visit the cruise ship for a complete tour, fun and
games and lunch with crew members.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 30
34 - Royal Caribbean International's ship Sovereign of the Seas - Coco
Cay, Bahamas Groundbreaking ceremony and check presentation at the
R.N. Gomez School, of Gray Harbor Bay, Bahamas. The ship has raised
$15,000 for a new basketball court / playground and fence for this
school.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 30
35 - Royal Caribbean International's ship Viking Serenade - Ensenada,
Mexico Refurbishing the Ensenada Children's Orphanage, donating
clothes to its children, and holding various sporting events.
Approximate Number of Volunteers: 30
36 - The staff of Royal Celebrity Tours - Anchorage, Alaska Staff
members will build handicapped access ramps at the Alaska Native
Heritage Center in Anchorage. The staff will also conduct a clean-up
project along the highway that leads to the Center. The Center is
dedicated to preserving the history of the native peoples of Alaska.