Hilton Garden Inn Arlington/Courthouse Plaza Hotel Plants Seeds for Indoor School Garden With Key Elementary School

Business Wire, Oct 4, 2002

Business Editors & Travel Writers

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 4, 2002

More than 30 Hilton Garden Inn Hotels Grow School Gardens

Across The Country To Commemorate 30th Anniversary

of the National Gardening Association

To continue the 150th Hilton Garden Inn hotel opening celebration, the Hilton Garden Inn Arlington/Courthouse Plaza will grow an indoor garden with the 4th grade class at Francis Scott Key Elementary School, teaching students the many facets of gardening and the importance of the global environment.

Ms. Marjorie Meyers, principal at Francis Scott Key Elementary School, was presented with two garden-themed gift baskets filled with a potpourri of vegetable and floral seed packets at the Hilton Garden Inn Arlington/Courthouse Plaza hotel grand opening -- to announce the garden project that hotel team members, teachers and students will embark on during the fall season. Kevin Robert, hotel general manager, Adrian Kurre, senior vice president -- brand management, Hilton Garden Inn, and Valerie Kelsey, president, National Gardening Association presented the garden gift baskets that includes 150 seed packets symbolizing the 150 Hilton Garden Inn hotels across North America.

"Our Hilton Garden Inn hotel team members look forward to growing an indoor garden with the 4th grade class and building a relationship with the students and teachers," said Kevin Robert, hotel general manager. "The indoor garden includes a GrowLab which will allow the class to raise vegetables, flowers and herbs right in their own classroom while teaching them about the importance of the environment in which they live."

The hotel joins more than 30 Hilton Garden Inn hotels throughout North America working with local students to grow school gardens -- all to recognize the relationship between Hilton Garden Inn and the National Gardening Association (NGA) and to celebrate NGA's 30th anniversary.

"We're thrilled that Hilton Garden Inn hotels across the country are planting school gardens to commemorate our 30th anniversary," said Valerie Kelsey, president, National Gardening Association. "We are truly appreciative of Hilton Garden Inn and its team members for their enthusiasm and dedication to this worthy program."

NGA worked with Hilton Garden Inn to develop a special garden education package, with all the tools necessary for hotel team members and the participating schools to grow an indoor or outdoor garden. Each participating Hilton Garden Inn location will donate this education package to their local school, provide personal teamwork and dedication, and grow this special relationship of a school garden together.

"Since our program launched earlier this year, many of our hotels have grown successful school gardens," said Adrian Kurre, senior vice president - brand management, Hilton Garden Inn. "Each of our hotels is proud to work with the students in their local community in this hands-on activity that provides future generations the opportunity to take ownership and pride in an educational project that grows right along with their learning."

Hilton Garden Inn hotels growing school gardens across the country include:

Arizona

-- Hilton Garden Inn Flagstaff & Weitzel Elementary School

California

-- Hilton Garden Inn Anaheim/Garden Grove & Garden Grove Boys & Girls Club

-- Hilton Garden Inn Calabasas & Lupin Hill Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Cupertino & Collins Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Gilroy & Las Animas Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Los Angeles/El Segundo & Center Street Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Palm Springs/Rancho Mirage & Rancho Mirage Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco Airport Burlingame & North Shoreview Montessori

-- Hilton Garden Inn San Francisco Airport North & Roosevelt Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Valencia & Plum Canyon School

Colorado

-- Hilton Garden Inn Colorado Springs & Explorer Elementary

School

Connecticut

-- Hilton Garden Inn Shelton & Shelton High School

Florida

-- Hilton Garden Inn Ft. Myers & Pelican Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville JTB/Deerwood Park & Greenland

Pines Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Tampa North & Hunters Green Elementary

School

Georgia

-- Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta/North Point & New Prospect

Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta North/Johns Creek & The Gaddard

School

Illinois

-- Hilton Garden Inn Addison & Stone Elementary School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Oakbrook Terrace & York Center School

Kansas

-- Hilton Garden Inn Wichita & Heartspring

Kentucky

-- Hilton Garden Inn Lexington & Community Montessori

-- Hilton Garden Inn Louisville East & Louisville Deaf Oral

School

Louisiana

-- Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans Airport & Bissonet Plaza

Elementary School

Maryland

-- Hilton Garden Inn White Marsh & Perry Hall Elementary School

Michigan

-- Hilton Garden Inn Detroit Metro Airport & Romulus Elementary

School

-- Hilton Garden Inn Plymouth & Isbister Elementary School

New York

-- Hilton Garden Inn Poughkeepsie/Fishkill & Brinkerhoff