HAL Celebrates National Philanthropy Day with Awards, Community Giving & Events

November 25, 2015 /3BL Media/ - November 12 is National Philanthropy Day, and we’re proud to celebrate by recognizing a successful season of community giving in our homeport and headquarter city of Seattle. While the company’s giving goes beyond Seattle, during the Alaska season many of our efforts are concentrated in this area through sponsorships, board representation and employee volunteerism.

“Holland America Line is proud to be recognized for the work that we do to create a better future in Seattle and around the world,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We provide donations, host luncheons, aid those in need and raise funds for worthy organizations because we are committed to making a difference in the communities where we live, work and sail. We truly appreciate being honored for our efforts.”

Community Giving Awards and Accolades Recognize Efforts
In October, Seattle Business Magazine presented Holland America Line with a Community Impact Award for “Business of the Year: Large Companies.” The awards are given to the region’s most influential leaders who are committed to making the local community a better place for their employees and business operations.

Earlier this year, Holland America Line received several honors for its corporate giving including the Live United Sparkie Award from United Way of King County, Washington, for its enthusiastic and innovative community work related to the annual United Way fundraising campaign. The Puget Sound Business Journal ranked Holland America Line in its Top 75 Corporate Philanthropists list and Komen Puget Sound also honored Holland America Line at its annual Grace Notes Gala.

Events and Sponsorships Help Raise Funds
Community giving lasts throughout the year. Holland America Line launched a fundraising campaign with United Way in September featuring a Seattle sports tailgate theme that paid homage to local teams. Employees participated in Food Truck Thursdays, a Day of Caring volunteer project and bake sales.

During the Seattle Mariners home game at Safeco Field Oct. 2, Holland America Line presented a $25,000 check for Uncompensated Care to Seattle Children’s Hospital. The donation was part of the company’s partnership with the Seattle Mariners and their “K’s for Kids” program that debuted during the 2014 baseball season.

As part of the K’s for Kids program, Holland America Line is the presenting sponsor of the Seattle Mariners Get Well Tours, visits to area hospitals by Mariners players and the Mariner Moose where children receive photos and autographs. 

Shipboard Fundraising Luncheons Support Local Partners
Each year Holland America Line hosts more than 25 shipboard charity luncheons for nearly 5,000 guests in its homeport cities. In Seattle, the company hosted eight events during the 2015 season for organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Catholic Seafarers’ Center, Auction of Washington Wines for an event that benefited Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Seattle Men’s Chorus and Seattle Women’s Chorus, the Seattle Theatre Group, and the Komen Puget Sound luncheon for breast cancer survivors and their co-survivors.

Combined with events in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; San Diego, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia, the ships welcomed 3,700 luncheon attendees and raised nearly $50,000 for a variety of nonprofit community organizations.

Holland America Line employees also attend local events to support the community. In September, the company was out in full force supporting Human Rights Campaign at their annual gala held at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel. HRC is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. 

Disaster Giving and Relief Helps Global Citizens
In April, during a call at Port-Villa, Vanuatu, in the South Pacific, ms Oosterdam delivered much-needed supplies to the island, which was ravaged by Cyclone Pam in March. Not only did Oosterdam collect donations totaling $13,150 and supplies from guests and crew, it also carried essential goods on behalf of Save the Pacific Foundation. The organization needed a way to get supplies to Vanuatu from Sydney, so it coordinated the relief effort with Carnival Australia and Holland America Line. Oosterdam was making a scheduled call — the only ship departing from Sydney and calling at Vanuatu in the next two months — and was able to carry the supplies to the island.

Additionally, Carnival Corporation teamed with several of its global cruise brands — including Holland America Line — to pledge $200,000 to relief efforts in Nepal in the wake of April’s devastating earthquake. Carnival Corporation worked through Mercy Corps, the Disaster Emergency Committee and Save the Children to support on-the-ground teams distributing emergency supplies and aiding rebuilding efforts targeting the most affected families in Kathmandu and surrounding areas.

Giving is Part of Holland America Line’s Culture
In addition to the luncheons and events, Holland America Line and its corporate foundation’s year-round charitable-giving programs include cash sponsorships, in-kind donations, free- and reduced-fare cruise donations for nonprofit fundraising events, donations of usable shipboard items around the world, employee volunteerism and other philanthropic activities.

Holland America Line’s successful “On Deck for a Cause” shipboard fundraising program benefits six international cancer organizations located in the United States, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. To date, more than 300,000 guests have participated in noncompetitive 5k fundraising walks on Holland America Line cruises worldwide, helping to raise $4.5 million dollars for cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.