Choice Hotels is Official Partner of Rebuilding Together's Fifty for Five

WASHINGTON, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Hotels has joined Rebuilding Together and their upcoming event, Fifty for Five, as an official sponsor. Fifty for Five is projected to be Rebuilding Together's biggest and most impactful project in the organization's history, rebuilding fifty homes in the historic New Orleans neighborhood of Gentilly. The week-long celebration of revitalization will take place five years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the area.

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Choice Hotels has been a partner of Rebuilding Together since September 2009, debuting their "Room to Rebuild" partnership with a massive service project on President Obama's call-to-service-day, United We Serve. Since that time, they have sponsored and volunteered for countless rebuilding projects, and were the title sponsor for Rebuilding Together's 15th annual "Kickoff to Rebuild" event, during the Big Game in Miami this past February.  In 2009 alone almost 800 Choice Hotels volunteers spent more than 6,000 hours on  Rebuilding Together( or "Room to Rebuild") projects across the country.

"Being able to partner with Rebuilding Together to rehabilitate the homes of hundreds of Americans has been a tremendous experience for Choice Hotels employees, franchise owners and operators across the country," said Kelly Kane, executive director of the Choice Hotels International Foundation. "This year we are particularly excited to take part in Rebuilding Together's Fifty for Five project.  We believe this effort will make a lasting impact on the families and communities affected and still impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."

Rebuilding Together has created a large presence in New Orleans post-hurricanes of 2005. For the past five years, Rebuilding Together has renovated more than 750 homes in the Gulf Coast, allowing homeowners and families who were displaced from their homes and unable to afford the critical renovations, to move back into their residences. The Fifty for Five celebration will bring Rebuilding Together 50 rehabilitated homes closer to their goal of 1,000 homes completed in the Gulf.

"We are happy to continue our relationship with Choice Hotels via our upcoming event, Fifty for Five," said Gary A. Officer, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "Choice Hotels has become an integral part of our work to revitalize communities and restore homes to displace the housing gap that exists, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Fifty for Five is a historic event that will benefit greatly from such a sponsor."

As an official partner for Fifty for Five, Choice Hotels will be heavily involved in the entire event. In addition to sponsoring homes throughout the Gentilly neighborhood, participating area Choice Hotels franchisees are offering special rates for Fifty for Five volunteers, and volunteers who stay at Choice Hotels brand properties will receive a significant Choice Privileges bonus.

Fifty for Five will take place from August 24 – 29. During this week-long celebration, 50 homes will be rehabilitated, allowing the homeowners who have been struggling since the hurricanes, to move back into their newly restored homes. Media personalities, local leaders, community members, and national sponsors will all be in attendance throughout the week – assisting in the massive neighborhood rebuilds, community block celebrations, and media events.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. franchises more than 6,000 hotels, representing more than 485,000 rooms, in the United States and more than 35 other countries and territories. As of March 31, 2010, more than 600 hotels are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in the United States, representing more than 52,000 rooms, and more than 100 hotels, representing approximately 8,200 rooms, are under construction, awaiting conversion or approved for development in more than 20 other countries and territories. The company's Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands serve guests worldwide. In addition, via its Ascend Collection membership program, travelers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean have upscale lodging options at historic, boutique and unique hotels.

Additional corporate information may be found on the Choice Hotels International, Inc. Web site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.

About Choice Hotels Foundation

Established in 2000, the Choice Hotels International Foundation serves as the umbrella organization for the corporate social responsibility efforts of worldwide lodging franchisor, Choice Hotels International.  The Foundation's mission is to give back to the communities in which we live and operate by supporting programs that provide food and shelter to those in need, enhance and enrich educational efforts and promote the growth and development of tourism. The Choice Hotels International Foundation supports these efforts by actively engaging our associates and franchisees through volunteerism and philanthropic giving.

About Rebuilding Together:

Rebuilding Together is the nation's leading nonprofit organization working to preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing extensive rehabilitation and modification services to those in need at no cost to those served. With the help of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in America's largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better for thousands of low-income homeowners and the communities in which they live by completing 10,000 projects per year. Rebuilding Together has programs dedicated to energy efficiency, veteran's housing, aging in place and Gulf Coast reconstruction.

For more information, visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

You can also follow Rebuilding Together on Twitter @rebldgtogthr or become a fan on Facebook at Facebook.com/RebuildingTogether.

Event information at www.fiftyforfive.org.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.