Tournament to be Held at Orange Lake Resort for 8th Consecutive Year

Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort is celebrating its eighth year as the Central Florida host of the RCI Christel House Open on Monday, June 7.  The tournament, held to support the Christel House mission of helping children around the world break the cycle of poverty, will be hosted at the resort’s 18-hole, Arnold Palmer-designed Legends golf course. Sponsorship and player opportunities are still available for participating in this event for a great cause.

Considered the largest single-day, charity golf tournament in the world, the RCI Christel House Open is spread out across 19 tournament sites spanning five continents. More than 1,800 golfers will tee off on this day for the charity—and 100% of the worldwide proceeds will go to programs and services that directly benefit the more than 3,000 children of Christel House.

The Christel House mission is a cause close to the heart for Orange Lake’s Chairman, Spence Wilson—son of Kemmons Wilson, founder of Orange Lake and also the Holiday Inn hotel chain—and Don Harrill, President and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts. Earlier this year, the two visited Christel House Mexico—a school with more than 350 students that continues to rank in the top 10% of all public schools in Mexico.

Harrill said, “It was amazing to see firsthand the amazing work made possible through the corporate and individual support that this foundation receives. Together, with this tournament, we’re continuing that momentum to make a real difference for the deserving children that Christel House serves.”

Orange Lake has partnered with the non-profit organization for the Group RCI Christel House Open since its inception in 2002 as the charity’s major site host. Last year, the company’s dedicated efforts helped to raise over $100,000 for the Christel House mission.

This event takes place as part of a series of community and charitable golf tournaments that Holiday Inn Club Vacations will be hosting this year. Other events planned for 2010 include a Golf Hospitality tournament in June—a complimentary tournament to thank local industry staff—and an event for FORE Charities, a fundraising organization that supports Central Florida charities.

For more information about hosting golf tournaments and outings at one of Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort’s four courses, contact Kimberly Chase, Assistant Director, Golf Sales & Marketing, at 407-905-1378 or kchase@orangelake.com.

For sponsorship opportunities and more information on how you can play in this tournament, contact Cathy Duncan, Manager of Corporate Events for Orange Lake Resorts, at 407-905-1979 or cduncan@orangelake.com.

Post-event photos available on request; please contact Brooke Doucha, Orange Lake Resorts Corporate Communications, at bdoucha@holidayinnclub.com.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,400 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Christel House International and Perspective International are pleased to announce that Perspective Magazine has been named the official media sponsor of the 2010 RCI Christel House Open, a unique international charity golf tournament with a global scale. This year’s event will see golfers compete in charity tournaments hosted on courses on five continents. On and around June 7, 2010, approximately 2,000 golfers are expected to participate on courses around the world.

“The Christel House Open is delighted to welcome Perspective Magazine as the tournament’s official media partner this year,” says Cheryl J. Wendling, senior vice president, Christel House International.

“Perspective’s participation further strengthens ties between the global timeshare industry and Christel House, and creates added value and exposure for our event-wide sponsors and site hosts.”

The annual event will be an incredible and unique day of golf for players across the globe… and all to raise funds for impoverished children through Christel House, a registered 501(c)(3) public charity.

One-hundred percent of the proceeds will directly benefit the children of Christel House. These funds are applied to programs and services and are not used for any administrative expenses, professional solicitors or fundraising consultants.

The children of Christel House

“Having visited Christel House South Africa, it is a pleasure to continue to be able to expand on our support for Christel House and I urge all industry leaders to support this organization that truly impacts on children’s lives and the communities around them,” says Paul Mattimoe, CEO, Perspective International.

Sponsorships
The RCI Christel House Open, featuring nearly 20 participating courses worldwide, offers a great many sponsorship opportunities on the event-wide and local tournament levels. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

•    Naming rights and product promotion
•    Networking and customer hospitality
•    Product placement at sites and in player giveaways
•    Complimentary, competing foursomes
•    Advertising space in event programs, magazine, and newsletters
•    Signage, media, sponsor recognition at events and more.

2010 Participating Tournaments
Following is a list of confirmed locations for the 2010 RCI Christel House Open.

Boonville, New York – Woodgate Pines Golf Club
Avon, Colorado – Gypsum Creek Golf Course
Carmel, Indiana – Woodland Country Club
Christmas Mountain, Wisconsin – Christmas Mountain Village Resort
Daytona Beach, Florida – LPGA International Champions Course
Gatlinburg, Tennessee – Bent Creek Golf Course
Kissimmee, Florida – Orange Lake Resort and Country Club
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – Members Club @ Grande Dunes
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – PGA National Resort and Spa
Scottsdale, Arizona – Camelback Golf Club
Vista, California – Shadowridge Country Club
Williamsburg, Virginia – Golden Horseshoe Golf Club Green Course
Caracas, Venezuela – Valle Arriba Golf Club
Perivale, Middlesex, UK – Ealing Golf Club
Bangalore, India – Course to be announced
Mexico City, Mexico – Course to be announced
Capetown, South Africa – Course to be announced
Johannesburg, South Africa – Course to be announced

Interested in playing or sponsoring a tournament? E-mail Becky Arnett or call her on 317-464-2009, or visit www.chopen.org to find a tournament near you.

********** PLUS **********
SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 26 – OCTOBER 2, 2010
2010 Christel House Donor Excursion to India
Experience the magic of Christel House India first hand!
We’d love to have you join us to experience the magic and mystery of India, and to see the transformation taking place in our children. Details are being finalized now, so be sure to block the dates in your calendar.
If you would like to receive more information about the Donor Excursion to India, please contact Christel House at trips@christelhouse.org or 317-464-2341.

Christel House International today announced that RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), will return for the fourth year as the Title Sponsor of the RCI® Christel House Open® International Charity Golf Tournament.

Now in its eighth year, the global tournament will begin on Monday, June 7, 2010, and take place at 18 sites in six countries. One hundred percent of the worldwide proceeds will go to programs and services that directly benefit the more than 3,000 children of Christel House.

“We are again thrilled to sponsor the RCI Christel House Open and so very proud to continue the tradition of working with this great organization,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “We know that working on this event, along with so many other fundraising initiatives for Christel House, allows us to help improve the lives of the children, families and communities that comprise their wonderful programs throughout the world.”

Approximately 1,800 golfers will tee off from sites in the U.S., Mexico, India, South Africa, Venezuela and the U.K.

“RCI has a long history for its commitment to social responsibility,” said Christel DeHaan, Founder. “We could not ask for a more engaged Title Sponsor and we are grateful to RCI for its generous support.”

DeHaan, the co-founder of RCI, founded Christel House in 1998 with the goal of helping children around the world break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of their societies. Since then, Christel House has expanded its programs and locations to serve more than 3,000 students, their families and communities, and employ more than 250 dedicated professionals who help the children optimize their potential and achieve productive, self-sufficient lives.

As the charity of choice for the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), Christel House and the RCI Christel House Open are largely supported by developers, resorts and vendors in the timeshare industry. Christel House is also one of the four signature charities of Wishes by Wyndham, the philanthropic program of Wyndham Worldwide. Founded in 1974, RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and is recognized within the industry for its longstanding history of social responsibility. For more information on the RCI Christel House Open, please visit www.chopen.org.

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange.

For additional information visit www.wyndhamer.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

World’s largest vacation exchange company receives seven awards at industry awards gala

RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), celebrated achievement of a remarkable seven awards at the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) 2010 gala ceremony and dinner in Las Vegas, Nevada, including the ACE Philanthropic Award for its work with Christel House fundraising efforts and education.

“RCI prides itself on having the most talented and passionate associates in the industry who are committed to delivering great service to our valued affiliates and vacation experiences to our 3.8 million members worldwide,” said Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI. “RCI’s award recipients all demonstrate a commitment to our ‘Count on Me!’ service culture for our members and affiliates and it’s a great honor to see so many of them recognized by our colleagues throughout the industry.”

Presented by ARDA, the awards are an opportunity to recognize those companies and individuals who have demonstrated excellence in the industry. The ARDA Circle of Excellence (ACE) honors specific individuals who have attained the highest level of excellence in their fields, or have demonstrated a commitment to the betterment of the industry as a whole.

RCI as a company received the following awards in the advertising and promotion categories:

•    Brochure 1-8 Pages:

RCITV/Enhanced Search Bilingual Brochure

•    Magazine Ad:

RCI Series of Ads in the RVI Directory (South Africa)

•    Direct Mail:

The Registry Collection April Direct Mail

•    Website:

EndlessVacation.com

•    Interactive Internet Advertising Campaign:

Your Fat Chance Campaign

•    Green Sustainable Advertising and Promotion Initiatives:

Earth Hour Email

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 65,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, a research and consultancy firm providing advisory services to the global leisure real estate industry. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange.

For additional information visit www.wyndhamer.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

The 2009 Group RCI Christel House Open international charity golf tournament spanned the globe with approximately 2,000 golfers teeing off from 19 tournament sites on five continents. Most of the tournaments took place on Monday, June 8. Due to weather and other factors, a handful of tournaments will take place on other dates before the end of the year. Group RCI returned as the tournament’s Title Sponsor. Joining Group RCI as event-wide sponsors were: The American Resort Development Association, Bluegreen Corp., FedEx, Harding Poorman Group, St. Vincent Health and Wyndham Vacation Ownership.

Now in its seventh year, the Open included tournament sites in:

United States
Boonville, NY
Boyne, MI
Breckenridge, CO
Carmel, IN
Christmas Mountain, WI
Daytona Beach, FL
Kissimmee, FL
Gatlinburg, TN
Myrtle Beach, SC
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Scottsdale, AZ
Vista, CA
Williamsburg, VA

International
Bangalore, India
Cape Town, South Africa
Caracas, Venezuela
Johannesburg, South Africa
Mexico City, Mexico
Perivale, Middlesex, United Kingdom

The United Kingdom tournament will take place on Moday 15th June, and as Media Sponsor, Perspective Magazine will be bringing you a review of the event, photos of the winners and monies raised for Christel House International.

Tournament to be Held at Orange Lake Resort for 7th Consecutive Year

Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort is celebrating its seventh year as the Central Florida host of the Group RCI Christel House Open on Monday, June 8. This is the first year that the tournament will be hosted under Orange Lake Resort’s new timeshare brand, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, and will take place at the resort’s 18-hole, Arnold Palmer-designed Legends golf course. Sponsorship and player opportunities are still available for participating in this event for a great cause.  

Considered the largest single-day, charity golf tournament in the world, the Group RCI Christel House Open is spread out across 19 tournament sites spanning five continents. Approximately 2,000 golfers will tee off on this day for the charity—and 100% of the worldwide proceeds will go to programs and services that directly benefit the more than 3,000 children of Christel House.

Don Harrill, President and CEO of Orange Lake Resorts, said, “We’re very pleased that so many of our timeshare industry friends are joining us once again in this year’s tournament to benefit Christel House—as well as several of our local attraction partners and vendors. Last year was a great success and we hope to continue this important tradition year after year here at Orange Lake Resort.”

Orange Lake Resorts has partnered with the non-profit organization for the Group RCI Christel House Open since its inception in 2002 as the charity’s major site host. Last year, the company’s dedicated efforts helped to raise over $125,000 for the Christel House mission. This year’s tournament will be graced with the presence of two very special guests: Christel DeHaan, founder of the Christel House International foundation, and Gordon Gurnik, President of Group RCI North America.

For sponsorship opportunities and more information on how you can play in this tournament, contact Cathy Duncan, Manager of Corporate Events for Orange Lake Resorts, at 407-239-0000, ext. 1979.

About Holiday Inn Club Vacations
Holiday Inn Club Vacations was created in September 2008 as a strategic alliance between IHG, the world’s largest hotel company, and Orange Lake Resorts, a leader within the timeshare industry with more than 25 years of proven success.  Holiday Inn Club Vacation’s flagship property in Orlando, located next to Walt Disney World® Resort, was established in 1982 by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson.  A 1,450-acre golf, water park and sports resort, Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake Resort includes 2,412 villas and plans for expansion to 4,500 villas.  Other member resort locations include Lake Geneva, Wis., Panama City, Fla. Brownsville, Vt., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Gatlinburg, Tenn.  Holiday Inn Club members enjoy access to Holiday Inn Club Vacations resorts and IHG’s network of more than 4,200 hotels worldwide.  Holiday Inn Club Vacations will continue to expand their Member Resorts to top North American destination locations.  For more information on Holiday Inn Club Vacations, visit www.hiclubvacations.com.

Christel House International today announced that Group RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and one of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), will return for the third year as the Title Sponsor of the Group RCI Christel House Open International Charity Golf Tournament.

Now in its seventh year, the global tournament will begin on Monday, June 8, 2009 and take place at 19 courses spanning five continents. One hundred percent of the worldwide proceeds will go to programs and services that directly benefit the more than 3,000 children of Christel House.

“We are absolutely delighted to again sponsor the Group RCI Christel House Open and are proud to continue the tradition of working with this great organization,” said Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Group RCI. “Working with Christel House on this event and others throughout the year allows us to help improve the lives of the children, families and communities that make up the incredible Christel House programs throughout the world.”
Approximately 2,000 golfers will tee off from sites in:
• Bangalore, India
• Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Perivale, Middlesex, The United Kingdom
• Caracas, Venezuela
• The United States, including sites in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin

“We are deeply grateful to Group RCI for its generous support of Christel House and the tournament. RCI has a long history of giving back in the communities where it does business and it is to be commended for its strong commitment to social responsibility.  We could not ask for a more engaged, dedicated Title Sponsor,” said Christel DeHaan, Founder.

DeHaan, the co-founder of Group RCI, founded Christel House in 1998 with the goal of helping children around the world break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of their societies. Since then, Christel House has expanded its programs and locations to serve nearly 3,000 students, their families and communities, and employ more than 250 dedicated professionals who help the children optimize their potential and achieve productive, self-sufficient lives.

As the charity of choice for the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), Christel House and the Group RCI Christel House Open are largely supported by developers, resorts and vendors in the timeshare industry.  Christel House is also one of the four signature charities of Wishes by Wyndham, the philanthropic program of Wyndham Worldwide. Founded in 1974, Group RCI is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and is recognized within the industry for its longstanding history of social responsibility. For more information on the Group RCI Christel House Open, please visit www.chopen.org.

About Group RCI
Group RCI, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, (NYSE: WYN) is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 73,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. The company is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation RentalsSM , Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange. For additional information visit www.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com

About Christel House
Christel House International is a 501(c)3 public charity helping children around the world to break the cycle of poverty and become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. Christel House learning centers — located in India, Mexico, South Africa, the United States and Venezuela — provide education, nutrition, health care and character and life-skills development for children. For additional information, please visit www.christelhouse.org.