2013 Hotel Workers Walkathon Raises Cash for Children’s Aid Society
Hundreds of New York City hotel industry employees made lives better for children by participating in the 22nd annual Hotel Workers Walkathon earlier this month. The money raised by the event will benefit a the renowned non-profit organization, the Children’s Aid Society.
It is indeed a worthy cause. It was the Children’s Aid Society that initiated a program many years ago that found places to live for more than 30,000 children who were without homes. The Children’s Aid Society was also the first organization to open day care centers for infants and children. In 1981, Children’s Aid began the Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS) program, using mediation to divert troubled youth from Family Court. In 1984 the Children’s Aid Society launched a program to prevent teen pregnancy. In 1988 the organization introduced the first medical foster care program, which serves children that are otherwise destined to live their entire lives in hospitals and medical facilities.
And, as we noted in Hotel Voice before, in the aftermath of the horrors of 9/11 the Children’s Aid Society helped our Union’s Benefit Funds Office provide a Winter Wonderland at the Queens Health Center for the families of members who had lost their jobs as a result of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Children’s Aid also provided truckloads of gifts and basic necessities to Hotel Trades Council families during the holiday season in 2001, and this generosity continued even after the holidays that year.
Today, Children’s Aid spans over 40 community-based centers, health clinics, and schools concentrated in neighborhoods burdened by some of the nation’s highest rates of poverty, unemployment and failing schools. Clearly, this is an organization that is worthy of the proceeds of the 2013 Walkathon.
The Walkathon began with a complimentary breakfast at the Roosevelt Hotel. Following the breakfast, the walkers toured a route of midtown hotels, raising money for the Children’s Aid Society at each stop they made. Many of the participating hotels not only helped sponsor the event they also provided refreshments along the way. The Hotel Association, the Hotel Trades Council and Local 6 also made contributions on behalf of the walkers.
This was the 22nd Hotel Workers Walkathon. Past events have raised over a half million dollars for various worthy causes and more will be added to that total from this year’s walk.
Numbers like these should make anyone proud, especially with the money going to help kids through the Children’s Aid Society. The organization helps more than 70,000 children and families each year and has many locations in high-needs neighborhoods. In the communities it serves the Children’s Aid Society has reduced teen pregnancy by 50 percent. Its community school model has been adopted across the country and around the world. More than 90 percent of its EXCEL program graduates attend college. Children’s Aid also serves all family members experiencing domestic violence. If you would like to learn more about the Children’s Aid Society or would like to become involved with this fine organization visit childrensaidsociety.org on the web.
“We express sincere appreciation to all of our members, retirees and their families who took the time to participate in this year’s Walkathon,” Hotel Trades Council President Peter Ward said. “The Children’s Aid Society has historically helped the lives of countless poor families for more than 150 years and is a solid and trusted piece of the fabric of New York. The Children’s Aid Society is an organization that clearly deserves support and we are delighted that it will receive the proceeds from this year’s Hotel Workers Walkathon. We thank all of those who provided that support by taking part in this year’s event, and we salute the Hotel Association and the various hotels and clubs that participated. Because of this effort many children and their families will receive the aid they need.”
