LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Montage Hotels & Resorts announced 10 finalists in the Montage Memory Makers Contest, held in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the opening of the brand’s first hotel, Montage Laguna Beach. The public may now vote at the contest site to select the final five recipients who will each receive a $10,000 college scholarship. The finalists, young humanitarians between the ages of 13 – 17, were selected by leaders in philanthropy, based on their merits of community service, impact of achievement on the community and beyond, creativity of achievement, and inspirational value to others.
Montage Hotels & Resorts is pleased to congratulate the following 10 finalists:
- Lulu Cerone, Calif.: founded LemonAID Warriors to inspire her peers to make social activism a part of their social life. Their “Philanthro-Parties” have raised $60,000.00 for global causes, and her mentoring Action Plans are used by major corporations to inspire over 4 million youth.
- Yasmine Davis, Calif.: founded Make a Birthday Wish, a nonprofit organization which gives homeless children happier birthdays by hosting monthly birthday parties and donating gifts for all the children at the shelter. Since its inception in 2009, the charity has provided birthdays for over 300 children and is on pace to sponsor more than 600 children in 2013.
- Marisol Meyer, Fla.: founded Good Acts by Great Actors based on Marisol’s belief that the arts can help to improve the quality of life for children in need. Her nonprofit organization hosts sensory friendly shows that autistic children can enjoy, raised money to purchase theatrical costumes for a children's cancer hospital in Guatemala and participated in the creation of an anti-bullying video and campaign that is being aired from Miami to Nashville.
- Karin Olivo, Calif.: started the nonprofit organization Operation DREAM, which stands for Dominican Republic Emergency Aid Mission, to provide nourishment and hope to orphans in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To-date, Karin’s organization has delivered nearly 50,000 pounds of food.
- Katharine Rhoten, Wisc.: created KatharineWish.org, which collects toys for hospitalized children in her home state and Minnesota. She has donated nearly 5,000 toys to children and has also created her own donor-advised fund, with the hope of issuing grants to hospitals around the country to buy toys for children.
- Chase Harris, Ariz.: created Classics for Causes, where he created multiple community partnerships in Arizona and used his talents to rebuild a 1967 Camaro which will be auctioned off this year, with all proceeds going to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
- Jason Cui, Va.: was motivated to create Youth Inspire when he realized that hospital patients lacked peer interaction and emotional support. His effort has now grown into a global enterprise which has raised $10,000 in funds to benefit teens in 10 countries.
- Hannah Moyles, N.C.: makes, collects, and donates handmade blankets, hats, scarves and more for her charity, From Ewe to You, which has helped over 10,000 people in need since it was founded.
- Kiran Sridhar, Calif.: is the founder of Waste No Food, a web-based nonprofit organization which allows food donors to efficiently donate to charities in real-time. To date, Waste No Food has served 30,000 meals to the hungry.
- Katy Dolan, Wash.: founded Life Enhancement Through Education in Music (LETEM), which aims to make music more accessible for all kids, and provides instruments and music programs to low-income children. In the last year, the group has circulated almost $10,000 worth of musical equipment and instruction to those in need.
Montage Hotels & Resorts is now inviting friends, family, and fans to narrow these 10 finalists down to five (5) winners by casting their vote at www.montagehotels.com/memorycontest, from April 17 – April 26. Each winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship to an accredited college, a trip for two (2) to Montage Laguna Beach, and the opportunity to meet with Montage Founder and CEO, Alan Fuerstman. Additionally, each winner will also be highlighted on the contest website and in Montage Magazine’s fall issue as the Montage Memory Maker Ambassadors for 2013.
All contestant entries were judged on the requirements of a one-hundred (100) to two-hundred (200) word essay and a video (optional), specifying their efforts to inspire and provide service to their communities by a panel of judges made up of Montage executives and founders, along with CEOs of national charity organizations, including:
- Alan Fuerstman, Founder & CEO of Montage Hotels & Resorts
- Premal Shah, President of Kiva.org, a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty
- Charles Best, Founder & CEO of DonorsChoose.org, a nonprofit organization which provides a simple way to address educational inequality
- Darrel Hammond, Founder & CEO of KaBOOM!, a not-for-profit dedicated to saving play by making sure there is a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America
- Nancy Lublin, CEO and Chief Old Person of DoSomething.org, the largest organization for teens and social change
- Jeffrey Bradach, Managing Partner and Co-founder of The Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit advisor and resource for mission-driven organizations and philanthropists
For more information on Montage Memory Makers or to vote, visit www.montagehotels.com/memorycontest. Voting is open to the public from April 17 – April 26, 2013.
About Montage Hotels & Resorts
Montage Hotels & Resorts is a hotel and resort management company founded by Alan J. Fuerstman. Designed to serve affluent travelers and homeowners, the company features an artistic collection of distinctive hotels, resorts and residences in stunning settings that offer comfortable elegance, a unique sense of place and spirit, impeccable hospitality and memorable culinary, spa and lifestyle experiences. Montage Laguna Beach, the company’s flagship oceanfront resort, opened in the vibrant arts community of Laguna Beach, California, in 2003. Montage Beverly Hills, the company’s second hotel, opened in Beverly Hills in 2008 and was the first Gold LEED certified hotel and residences in Southern California. Montage Deer Valley, located in Park City, Utah, is the company’s third property which opened in December 2010 and was recently awarded Top Family Program in the World (2011) by the Virtuoso travel network. www.montagehotels.com