Charitable Causes

We would like to take this opportunity to give you a brief overview of a few diseases which have a profound effect on our society. We will donate proceeds from our operations to charities which promote research and education of these diseases. We are currently negotiating corporate partnersips with selected charitable associations supporting these causes. In selecting our beneficiaries we pay special attention to the effectiveness of the organization to maximize the proportion of our proceeds that actually reaches those in need of the funds.

If you have your own personal favourite charity to which you would like to contribute, please send us their information and we will allocate your share of the profits directly to them.

Our donations will help accelerate research into these diseases, improve treatments and hopefully lead to a cure.

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is abnormal growth of breast tissue, which produces tumors in the breast and may cause metastases all over the body. It is the second most common of all cancers (second only to lung cancer). In women it is the most common cancer, and the most common cause of cancer death. Although much more rarely, it does occur in men.

The cause for breast cancer is usually not known. Two kinds of risk factors for developing the disease have, however, been identified: hereditary (the genetic component) and environmental factors, mostly linked to western lifestyle. The latter include high-fat diet, obesity, tobacco and alcohol use.

As with other types of cancer, there is no cure for breast cancer. Although treatments exists, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy and removal of tumors, they are more effective when the cancer is identified in early stages. Because early cancerous growth rarely produces pain or discomfort, it often goes unnoticed. Educating people how to regularly and properly examine their breasts and providing screening methods are paramount to combating this disease.

Heart and stroke

What do heart attacks and strokes have in common? They are both vascular diseases, caused by ischemia - interruption in the blood supply to heart and brain tissue. This produces a decrease in the supply of oxygen and nutrients, which can cause permanent damage to the heart and brain, or even death.

Heart attacks cause approximately 12% of deaths worldwide, and strokes nearly 10%. In the western world, heart attcks are the biggest, and strokes the third biggest cause of death. Heart attacks and strokes are both more common in men even though heart attacks are still the number one cause of death in women. Risk factors include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and tobacco use.

Both heart attacks and strokes are acute events and when sympotms occur, medical attention must be sought immediately to prevent permanent damage to the heart or brain. It is therefore important to be aware of signs and symptoms of such events. To prevent these from happening, vascular diseases (such as angina, coronary heart disease and previous vascular events) and other conditions (such as diabetes, hypertension, arrhythmias) must be treated, and appropriate lifestyle changes applied (e.g. exercise and weight control, cesseation of smoking and moderation in alcohol use).

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia, and affects over 24 million people. It is a neurodegenerative illness: plaques and tangles form in the brain, which impair normal functioning.

The illness starts developing years before it is diagnosed. The first sign of the disease is short-term memory loss. Over the course of 5-20 years, the illness progresses through confusion, long-term memory loss and language breakdown, to loss of major bodily functions which ultimately causes death.

The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are not known, and there is no cure. Pharmacological treatments are available that offer some symptom relief, although the disease progression can not be stopped or reversed. The disease is not only detrimental to the sufferer, but also to their family and friends who typically assume the role of caregivers. The risk for developing the disease increases dramatically after the age of 65. In the context of our ageing population, Alzhemier’s represents a serious public health concern.

Children with AIDS

Infection with the HIV virus leads to a compromised immune system and predisposes the patient to opportunistic infections and tumors, which cause the death of the infected individual. AIDS is a pandemic, with sub-Saharan regions being the most affected.

The virus is not easily transmitted from pregnant mothers to their fetus. This can, however, occur during the last weeks of pregnancy. Infection can readily occur at birth and through breastfeeding.

The risk of infection is estimated at 25%, however it can be greatly reduced with available precautionary measures: antiviral treatment during late stages of pregnancy, cesarean section, and formula feeding. Over 90% of children infected with HIV each year are in sub-Saharan africa. This epidemic can be stopped by providing education and means to prevent viral transmission from mother to child.

Our donations will help accelerate research into these diseases, improve treatments and hopefully lead to a cure.

Tourism Cares is a non-profit organization designed to mobilize the travel and tourism industry to preserve and enhance the travel experience. We believe that the travel experience is intrinsic to human nature, expands our knowledge and broadens our horizons and that this experience is worthy of preservation for future travelers and the places they go.

Tourism Cares achieves this through conservation, education, preservation and restoration programs.

Through the Worldwide Grant program, Tourism Cares annually awards more than $250,000 in grants to more than 20 deserving non-profit, tourism related organizations around the globe. These organizations represent some of the most culturally, environmentally and historically significant sites in the world and the grants that they receive assist them with the upkeep of their facilities so that they can keep their doors open and continue to share their unique and historic heritage with travelers.

Tourism Cares also awards academic scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in travel, tourism or hospitality from accredited colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Over the last 20 years, more than 400 students have received scholarships, grants, and other awards valued at more than $1.5 million. In 2008, Tourism Cares will award more than $50,000 in academic scholarships and research grants and more than twenty service-learning awards.

Finally, the Tourism Cares for America program brings together volunteers from the travel and tourism industry to clean up and/or restore culturally significant, tourism-related sites in need of care and rejuvenation. Now in its 6th year, Tourism Cares for America has brought together more than 2,000 volunteers at sites across North America and donated more than 20,000 hours of volunteer time. To date, Tourism Cares for America events have been held at:

• Ellis Island, NY/NJ – 2003 – 300 volunteers
• St. Louis Cemetery #1, New Orleans, LA – 2004 – 350 volunteers
• George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, VA – 2005 – 400 volunteers
• Mississippi Gulf Coast – 2006 – 330 volunteers
• Virginia City, NV – 2007 – 300 volunteers
• Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, LA – 2008 – 350 volunteers

Thank you for your support of these programs