BETHESDA, Md., May 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Marriott Rewards is launching a creative movement to amplify
support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
community through a powerfully vibrant art installation that
encourages everyone to see themselves and to be themselves.
#LoveTravels' newest chapter will lend support directly to
transgender lives and leaders through the dedication of the art
installation.
This pride season, in an evolution of the award-winning
#LoveTravels campaign, Marriott invites travelers around the world
to create and share expressions of love - however personally
defined. Each painting, doodle, photograph and hand-written message
using #LoveTravels and #MyPride submitted through May 25, 2016 will become part of Marriott's
collaborative art installation that will be unveiled before Capital
Pride next month in Washington,
D.C.
Marriott Rewards has also enlisted popular social media
ambassadors and LGBT supporters from around the world to spread the
#LoveTravels message including Jazz Jennings (TLC's "I
am Jazz"), Miles Jai (@MilesJaiProductions on YouTube),
Pepe y Teo (one of Mexico's most
popular LGBT YouTubers), Shannon Beveridge and Cammie Scott
(creative couple behind YouTube's "Now This is
Living"), and Trent and Luke (married YouTube couple from the
UK).
"Art is a universal language that evokes passion and spurs
travel," said Stacey Milne, Vice
President of Portfolio Marketing Strategy & Planning, Marriott
International. "We want to see what #LoveTravels means to people
all around the world by inviting them to share their artistic
expressions of love, as one collective voice, this Pride
season."
Visual and written expressions using #LoveTravels and #MyPride
on Instagram and Twitter will be included in the global art
installation. For each submission Marriott will make a donation to
Casa Ruby, the only bilingual multicultural LGBT organization
providing lifesaving services to many of the most vulnerable
transgender residents of Washington,
D.C. The funds will help support Casa Ruby's
Drop-In and Crisis Intervention Center, as well as their
Limited Financial Assistance program for those enrolled in career
and employment services and to those facing extreme financial
hardship.
"Being part of the #LoveTravels movement is very rewarding for
the whole family at Casa Ruby and especially our transgender
community," said Ruby Corado of Casa
Ruby. "To see brands like Marriott International inspire the LGBT
conversation and show their support for equality and love is a sign
of change in the world. We are excited to tell our story and to be
a part of this global movement to spread the #LoveTravels message
far beyond the LGBT community."
While a vast majority of people will participate virtually by
sharing artwork on Instagram and Twitter, #LoveTravels art boxes
filled with a canvas and paints will be sent to partner
organizations around the world so they can contribute to the
installation. Marriott Rewards will also host expressions sessions
at Casa Ruby in Washington, D.C.
and Marriott International Corporate Headquarters in Bethesda giving associates of both
organizations a chance to express their support. Liquitex, creators
of the first water based acrylic paints is providing all supplies
for each expression session and the #LoveTravels art boxes.
#LoveTravels kicked off in 2014 with Jason Collins, Geena
Rocero, Tim Howard and
Angela Simmons celebrating travelers
exploring their personal passions and acclaiming their unique
perspectives and experiences. It continued into 2015 with
Hollywood star Diane
Guerrero (OITNB, Jane the Virgin). During Capital Pride
2015, Marriott Rewards celebrated marriage equality by marrying
George Carrancho and Sean Franklin in the Capital Pride Parade with
TV personality Ross Mathews as
officiant.
To join the conversation or learn more, travelers can visit
www.lovetravelswithme.com, follow #LoveTravels and @MarriottRewards
on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Marriott Rewards
Marriott Rewards is
Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program spanning 17
brands and over 4,300 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is
free to join and has no blackout dates and members can earn and
redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world
and at Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The
Ritz-Carlton®. Members can also redeem points for frequent
flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making
rewards accessible with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards
continues to be a leader in the industry. Marriott Rewards has won
the Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the Americas"
for the last nine years and is a two-time winner of
the Frequent Travel Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program."
The program was ranked #1 in J.D. Power's 2016 Hotel
Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report. In addition, the
program has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of
U.S. News & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global
Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll
and for more information about Marriott Rewards, guests can visit
MarriottRewards.com.
About Marriott International:
Marriott International,
Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is a global leading lodging company based in
Bethesda, Maryland, USA, with
nearly 4,500 properties in 87 countries and territories.
Marriott International reported revenues of more than $14 billion in fiscal year 2015. The company
operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership
resorts under 19 brands. The company also manages the award-winning
guest loyalty program, Marriott Rewards® and The Ritz-Carlton
Rewards® program, which together comprise more than 56 million
members. For more information or reservations, please visit our
website at www.marriott.com, and for the latest company news, visit
www.marriottnewscenter.com.
About Casa Ruby
Casa Ruby (www.casaruby.org) is the
only bilingual multicultural LGBT organization led by
trans women of color providing life-saving services and
programs to the most vulnerable in the LGBT community. Our mission
is to create successful life stories among transgender, gender
queer and gender non-conforming gay, lesbian and bisexual people.
Casa Ruby was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2004, serving the
greater Washington DC metro
area.
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