Reserve your room for MotoGP™, X Games Austin and F1™ and support Special Olympics athletes
Local partnership raises more than $106,000 for charity since inception
AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 19, 2014) – Circuit of The Americas (COTA) and Hotels for Hope, the Austin, Texas-based social enterprise that raises funds and awareness for nonprofit organizations that positively impact the lives of children, are again partnering to raise money for a very worthy cause through hotel room nights booked for the COTA-hosted events.
Monies raised this year through this unique fund-raising initiative will benefit Special Olympics Texas (SOTX), the Texas Chapter of the national nonprofit organization partnering with Hotels for Hope. SOTX provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Through the power of sports, SOTX participants discover new strengths, abilities and relationships to enrich their lives on and off the field. SOTX has 19 offices located throughout Texas and holds more than 300 sports competitions a year.
“We are excited to designate Special Olympics Texas as our nonprofit partner for our 2014 Hotels for Hope fundraising drive,” COTA Vice President of Public and Media Relations Julie Loignon said. “Sports fans around the world are celebrating the achievement of Olympic athletes competing in Sochi, Russia, and they will soon be doing the same for Special Olympics athletes here at home. Right now, our Texas Special Olympics athletes are preparing to compete in the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in New Jersey this June. Champions from around the world come to Circuit of The Americas to test their abilities and determination, and the COTA team is proud to support and celebrate the efforts of Special Olympics athletes in Texas.”
“We are beyond thrilled to partner with Circuit of The Americas and Hotels for Hope,” Margaret Larsen, president and chief executive officer of Special Olympics Texas said. “The funds raised through this program will help us continue to provide sports opportunities for more than 51,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the Lone Star State.”
Through its Hotels for Hope fundraising partnership in 2013, COTA raised $55,504 for T*A*P*S (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), a nonprofit organization that provides immediate and long-term emotional help, hope, and healing to all who are grieving a loved one who died while serving in the Armed Forces. Just one year prior, the award-winning Austin venue raised $50,800 for local nonprofit organizations that support the needs of Central Texas children. To date, COTA and Hotels for Hope’s combined efforts have generated $106,304 for these worthy causes.
“Circuit of the Americas and Hotels for Hope are special partners to TAPS, and we are so grateful for their support in 2013,” said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS founder and military widow. “TAPS provides care to thousands of families each year who receive that knock on the door and the tragic news that their service member is gone. With these funds raised by this partnership, TAPS is able to provide immediate and long term hope, help and healing.”
Help raise money and awareness
Guests booking hotel rooms for upcoming motorsports and entertainment events at COTA can make their reservations through the official COTA website,www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com, which will interface with the Hotels for Hope online reservations tool. Travelers securing accommodations through this process automatically generate a donation to SOTX. Participating hotels will make a $1 donation per actualized room night, with Hotels for Hope matching that donation. That means $2 for every hotel room night booked through Hotels for Hope will go to the Hotels for Hope Fund, which will then distribute those monies to SOTX.
Tickets to upcoming events at Circuit of The Americas, including the MotoGP™ Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, ESPN’s X Games Austin and COTA’s new country music and comedy festival RedFest, can be purchased at www.circuitoftheamericas.com. Tickets to the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, set for April 11-13, start at $39 per person, and kids ages 12 and under are admitted FREE with a ticketed adult.
SHARE THIS NEWS VIA TWITTER!
Help @circuitamericas & @Hotels4Hope raise money for @SOTexas through hotel rooms booked for #RBGPA, http://tinyurl.com/Hotels4HopeSOTX
About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, is the home of world championships and a world-class destination for premium sports and entertainment. COTA hosts the annual FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, which was named 2012 “Sports Event of the Year” by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily, and is the new North American home for the summer edition of ESPN’s X Games. More than one million visitors come to COTA each year for events such as MotoGP™, United Sportscar Racing, the FIA World Endurance Championships, COTA Track Days, business and social functions, and more than 20 performances at the venue’s acclaimed Austin360 Amphitheater, nominated for Pollstar’s“Best New Major Concert Venue” award for 2013. COTA’s 1,500-acre campus includes a variety of permanent structures, including a 44,000-square foot Event Center, an impressive Main Grandstand with hospitality suites and the Velocity Lounge, a 270,000-square foot Paddock Building with 34 garages, and an iconic 25-story Observation Tower at the heart of the facility. For more information and downloadable video and photos, visit:http://www.Austin360Amphitheater.com or COTA’s dedicated FTP site, media.circuitoftheamericas.com. Follow COTA on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/CircuitofTheAmericas and Twitter @circuitamericas.
About Hotels for Hope
Hotels for Hope provides hotel brokerage services to large groups through a simple business model that contributes $2 for every room night stay to charitable organizations that seek to help children live happier and healthier lives. Since its inception, Hotels for Hope has donated more than $270,000. For more information, visit www.hotelsforhope.org.
About Special Olympics Texas
Special Olympics Texas (SOTX) is the Texas Chapter of the national organization, Special Olympics, providing year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. In 2013, SOTX had more than 51,000 individuals participate in their athletic programs. For more information visitwww.sotx.org or call the toll-free resource and information line at 1.800.876.JOIN (5646).