September Is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Expedia Launches Over 150 Travel Giveaways and Exclusive Hotel Coupons to Help Travelers Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwired - Sep 4, 2013) - September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In response, Expedia.com®, the world's leading online travel company, today introduced a month-long campaign featuring travel giveaways and exclusive travel coupons to raise funds in support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®.

St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. In its 50-plus year history, treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 percent to 80 percent. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. Because the majority of St. Jude funding comes from public contributions, St. Jude has the freedom to focus on what matters most -- saving kids regardless of their financial situation. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.

Expedia® has created several ways for the travel community to lend its support. Beginning September 1, 2013, consumers can visit http://stjude.expedia.com/ to enter more than 150 giveaway sweepstakes to win aspirational travel packages. Each entry comes with a suggested donation of $5.00, 100 percent of which goes directly to St. Jude. Consumers can select as many trip options as they like, with the ability to enter each giveaway once a day for the entire month of September. The options are wondrous; they include:

• Bali, Indonesia: Five nights at the stunning Conrad Bali in a Deluxe Garden Room including breakfast, a couples massage and a $500 Visa gift card.
• Vegas Dream Trip: Three nights at the chic Aria Resort & Casino, two tickets to Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana, a $200 F&B credit to any MGM resort restaurant, a Rockstar Club Crawl, 2.5 hour Vegas Sights & Lights Limo Tour, a flight on Maverick's ECO-Star helicopter and three pairs of tickets to Vegas on Spirit Airlines.
• Maui, Hawaii: Four nights at the seaside Fairmont Kea Lani and a sunset catamaran cruise plus snorkel or eco-adventure to Molokini with Pacific Whale Foundation Eco-Adventures.
• Marrakech, Morocco: Four nights in a palatial Pavilion room at the Four Seasons Marrakech, including breakfast and a couples spa experience.
• Montana Outdoor Adventure: Four nights in a spacious Big Sky, Montana, Moonlight Mountain Homes luxury cabin and a $1000 Expedia gift card towards air fare or car rental.

At the campaign's conclusion, a winner will be selected at random for each trip. No donation is required to enter the giveaways and an alternate method of entry is available.

"St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a miracle -- a thriving, successful organization that provides pioneering research and treatment at no cost to patients. We're proud to help channel the collective energy of millions of travelers to support it," said Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer, Expedia, Inc. "We already know that travelers are passionate people who know how to make every moment count. We're hoping they'll make their trips count even more by making a donation to St. Jude that will help save children. We are so grateful for the many generous partner properties, airlines and tourism boards from all around the world that stepped up to join this campaign. So please, join in. And thank you."

"The support of incredible corporate citizens like Expedia helps fuel our mission of finding cures and saving children," said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO, ALSAC/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "This campaign offers travelers a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, while helping St. Jude provide lifesaving care to children from around the world. We feel fortunate to be associated with this campaign and thank everyone who participates for their support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital."

Beyond the dream trip giveaways, there are several different ways that consumers can join this campaign. For example, they can:

• Donate directly to St. Jude to get a hotel coupon. Consumers who donate $25 to St. Jude on this site may choose either a 10% off coupon good for select hotels on Expedia.com or a 20% off coupon good for select hotels via the Expedia mobile app. To get the coupon and donate to St. Jude, click here.
  
  
• Donate your rewards. Expedia® Rewards points can be turned into a monetary donation to St. Jude as well. Expedia Rewards points-holders who wish to participate can do so here.
  
  

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has treated children from all 50 states and countries around the world. It is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. And research findings from St. Jude are shared freely with doctors and scientists worldwide, so the good work that begins in Memphis, Tennessee, ends up helping children and families everywhere.

About Expedia.com
Expedia.com is the world's leading online travel site, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (http://www.expedia.com/, 1-800-EXPEDIA) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of vacations, cheap flights, hotels, rental cars, resorts, cruises and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps. With the Expedia Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel. Whether you want to relax in Costa Rica, explore Myrtle Beach or spring ski in Vail, we know every trip and every traveler is unique and we want to help you Find Yours™.

Expedia, Expedia.com, Expedia Rewards, Find Yours and the Airplane logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2013 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50

SOURCE: Expedia.com
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