2008 Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2008

Contact:
Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation Cynthia Colenda, (703) 522-3160

Houston Area Charities Receive $40,000 in Cruise Industry Donations

The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation (CICF) is pleased to announce recent grant donations to benefit Houston area charities. The charitable donations, presented by Tom Dow, a CICF Board Member and Vice President of Carnival Corporation, were awarded to the Boys and Girls Harbor, Children’s Center, Ensemble Theatre, Houston Urban League, and the Multi-Cultural Education and Counseling through the Arts Program (MECA).

The donations were presented during a luncheon co-hosted by CICF and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) at the Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel. Special guests attending the luncheon included: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, representing Texas’ 18th Congressional District, Missouri Council Member Cynthia Gary, La Porte Council Member Georgia Malone, Wade Battles, Managing Director of the Houston Port Authority, representatives of each of the five charities, and other recognized business and community leaders.

“As we approach our 10-year anniversary celebration, we maintain our commitment to continue supporting the communities where we conduct business,” said Mr. Dow. “We are proud to support the meritorious work of these organizations and hope our donation will provide much needed assistance with their outreach.”

CICF’s donation of $10,000 to Boys and Girls Harbor, a long-term care facility for abused, abandoned, and neglected children ages 5 through 18, will help further their after school tutoring program and college scholarship program. The $10,000 donation to the Children’s Center will assist them in their efforts to provide care, education, treatment, research and training to promote and restore the physical and emotional health of children, youth and their families. With a donation of $7,000, CICF will support the Ensemble Theater’s “Young Performers” program, which offers intensive summer training in the theatre arts for Houston area youth. CICF’s contribution of $10,000 to the Houston Area Urban League will support the Urban League’s mission throughout the community as it has been a voice for the disadvantaged people of Houston without regard to age, sex, race, physical limitations or ethnic background. Finally, CICF is proud to support MECA with a $3,000 donation as they work to promote the healthy social, cultural, and academic development of at-risk, inner-city youth through education in the arts.

The cruise industry continues to have a significant economic impact in the State of Texas and looks forward to the opening of the Bayfront Cruise Terminal this fall. Notably, cruise lines spent nearly $1.1 billion in Texas in 2006, and supported over 19,000 jobs paying nearly $907 million in income for Texas workers.

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The Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation (CICF), founded in 1998 by the members of the International Council of Cruise Lines, focuses its efforts on programs designed to strengthen and improve the quality of life in communities served by our industry. The Foundation supports civic and community development, educational assistance and training programs, and environmental preservation initiatives.