CHADDS FORD, Pa., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brandywine Conference and
Visitors Bureau will celebrate Tourism Week, May 9th to 13th, by sending
returning servicemen and women and their families on mini vacations throughout
the northeast region.
"Bureaus around the country use Tourism Week to call attention to the huge
economic impact tourism makes on local economies," noted Tore Fiore, Executive
Director of the Brandywine Conference and Visitors Bureau. "Travel and
tourism in Brandywine Country has been climbing for the past 18 months and how
better to highlight the importance of travel - than to give our local
returning soldiers and their families mini vacations so they can reunite in a
relaxed way, having fun and making great memories together."
Brandywine Country's bureau staff will be packing more than 100 SUITCASES
FOR SOLDIERS at 9:30am on Tuesday, May 10th - filling them with free tickets
to fun activities, free hotel weekends, disposable cameras and more. These
suitcases will be given to the families of military servicemen and women
currently in Iraq.
"Ask any soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq what their number one wish is and
they will say that it's getting back home for time with their families," notes
Sergeant Lawrence J. Addicott of the Pennsylvania Marine base in Folsom. "The
Bureau's "Suitcases for Soldiers" program creates that opportunity for
returning veterans in an instant - it's a great idea!"
"We are contacting hotels, attractions, theme parks and restaurants all
over eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware," Fiore explains. "We
have received more than $5000 worth of free tickets to Pennsylvania theme
parks and New Jersey shore fun piers including Morey's Piers, Wonderland Pier,
Dutch Wonderland, Sesame Place, Williams Grove Amusement Park, Dorney Park and
Wild Water Kingdom, and Camel Beach Waterpark."
Among the hotels donating overnight packages are the Doubletree Hotel in
Wilmington, Hilton Garden Inn at Kennett Square, Radnor Hotel, Wayne Hotel,
Embassy Suites of Philadelphia, Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport, Trump
Casino and the Tropicana Resort in Atlantic City. The Brandywine Valley Bed &
Breakfast Association donated 17 overnight packages - one from each member
B&B. And resorts and Inns throughout the Jersey Shore are donating, as well,
with overnight packages coming from Montego Bay Resort, Pier 4, Summer Nites
50's B&B, The Ocean Front, Candlelite Inn, Harbor Lights Hotel and Cameo Rose
B&B.
Fiore added that major attractions have also donated hundreds of free
admission tickets including the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science, the
Brandywine River Museum and American Helicopter Museum. The Bureau has
received dozens of theater packages including tickets to the Media Theater,
Candlelight Theater and Three Little Bakers Dinner Theater - and the
Glenmorgan Bar & Grill donated 100 free appetizers, one for each suitcase.
The Brandywine Bureau promotes the region known as "Brandywine Country,"
which extends from the Delaware State Line at Wilmington to Philadelphia and
north to the famous Main Line towns of Wayne and Radnor. It also blankets
horse country and the lush countryside west of Philly, encompassing Chadds
Ford and the Brandywine River Valley.
"We are excited to send our brave returning soldiers and their families
out to enjoy all the great attractions we have to offer," noted Lou Prevost,
President of the Bureau's Board of Directors. "Brandywine Country is one of
the region's top destinations featuring sites like the Brandywine Battlefield,
Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine River Museum which features the art of
three generations of Wyeths."
The Brandywine Bureau will be accepting contributions until 9:30am on May
10th. You can mail them to arrive by the 10th, or bring them that morning and
help the staff and soldiers from local bases pack the suitcases. Those able
to contribute funds, overnight hotel packages, restaurant certificates or
tickets to attractions should contact Barbara Lehman, Director of
Communications, at 610-565-3679.
"The Travel and Tourism Industry has a huge heart," Fiore adds, "and you
can see a complete list of contributors on our web site, at
http://www.brandywinecountry.org." For more information on Brandywine Country
call 800-343-0843.
SOURCE Brandywine Conference and Visitors Bureau
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Related links:
http://www.brandywinecountry.org
CONTACT:
Barbara Lehman, Director of Communications,
Brandywine Conference and Visitors Bureau, +1-215-8721308,
blehman@brandywinecvb.org, or Brandywine Conference and Visitors
Bureau: +1-800-343-0843 or +1-610-565-3679
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