Philadelphia, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In October of 2018, Hersha Hotels and Resorts announced that EarthView®, their corporate sustainability program, will provide support to Waterboys (www.Waterboys.org), the hallmark initiative of The Chris Long Foundation, through the sale of EarthView water bottles at Hersha hotels. EarthView bottles are made from 100% recycled materials, and for each bottle sold, Hersha donates $1 to support Waterboys’ clean water projects in East Africa. Since the launch, EarthView water sales have surpassed expectations. Hersha hotels from coast to coast were empowered to significantly contribute to the cause through water sales – from Maryland’s Annapolis Waterfront hotel selling 4,511 bottles to Hotel Milo in Santa Barbara, California raising $8,338 in donation dollars. The first well from proceeds is scheduled to be completed in March 2020 in Unyankumi - a village in the Singida Region of Tanzania.
“Our EarthView water bottle provides clean, safe water to our guests while at the same time offers life-sustaining water to a community in need. In this way, we can help address the pressing challenges we face as a global society while supporting our company’s goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said Jay H. Shah, Hersha’s CEO. “Our first well in Tanzania will provide water to 8,000 people who previously lacked any permanent source of clean water.”
As with many communities around the world, the villagers of Unyankumi have faced challenges in regards to accessible, clean water and sanitation. Current conditions have caused the community to depend on hand-dug wells owned by individuals that often dry up and are insufficient to serve all of the villagers. Lack of clean water also leads to many other challenges, including barriers to education, agriculture, and healthcare in the community. The creation of a well will not only save countless hours spent retrieving water but will also give the community a better chance at developing a secondary school in the future – currently, only a primary school exists in the community.
Launched in 2015 by former Philadelphia Eagle Chris Long, Waterboys unites NFL and NBA players, fans, and corporate supporters in service. The charity provides underserved rural communities in emerging economies with clean, safe and sustainable water by drilling wells to serve communities in need.
"Our first year of partnership with Hersha has yielded tremendous results for Waterboys and, more importantly, for the community of Unyankumi that will be transformed by the well that has been funded," said Chris Long, founder Chris Long Foundation. "We pride ourselves on our ability to engage fans and corporations in innovative ways with our mission. EarthView water bottles are another example of how the collective impact of raising awareness in multiple hotels paired with fans making one small action can result in meaningful change for thousands of people."
About Hersha Hospitality Trust
Hersha is a self-advised real estate investment trust in the hospitality sector, which owns and operates high-quality upscale hotels in urban gateway markets and coastal destinations. The Company's 48 hotels totaling 7,644 rooms are located in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida and select markets on the West Coast. The Company's shares are traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “HT.”
About HHM
HHM operates 125 hotels across the United States. It provides turnkey hotel management, investment, and development services for independent hotels and leading brand affiliations through Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Intercontinental Hotel Group. HHM’s highly experienced team is accustomed to serving as a fiduciary to publicly traded companies, joint ventures, institutional real estate owners and private investors. Additional information on HHM can be found at hhmhospitality.com.
About EarthView
Hersha Hotels and Resorts embraces environmental and community stewardship as an integral part of maintaining and building a successful business. In 2010, the company conceptualized and developed a proprietary corporate program called EarthView®, encompassing a “triple bottom line” approach to sustainability and became a leader in green hospitality. The program, enrolled in over 100 hotels nationwide, delivers environmental and conservation programs that positively impact a hotel’s bottom line while simultaneously improving the wellbeing of its guests, employees, communities and the planet.
About Waterboys
Founded in 2015 by two-time Super Bowl Champion Chris Long, Waterboys unites professional NFL and NBA athletes and fans from across the world in support of a single, shared cause: providing clean, accessible drinking water to 1 million people. By working together, players and fans can make a meaningful difference for communities in desperate need by funding sustainable clean water projects. These projects provide life-giving water and all that comes from it – including the opportunities for education, good health, and economic stability. Initially starting with projects in East Africa, Waterboys expanded its work in 2019 to also include U.S water projects. To date, Waterboys has raised over $4 million with the help of over 45 professional athletes, providing clean drinking water to more than 330,000 people as a result. To find out more, visit waterboys.org.
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