Providing Relief

Through the Harris Rosen Foundation, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Rosen Hotels & Resorts helps not just those within the immediate community of Orlando, but those in need around the world.

Worldwide Outreach

The Harris Rosen Foundation is actively involved in outreach to help those in need worldwide. In 2011, Honorary Consul General of Japan in Orlando Harris Rosen and the Harris Rosen Foundation established a Japan Relief Fund and raised more than $100,000 to aid those devastated from the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Additionally, for more than a decade the foundation has supported Haiti by periodically shipping medical and school supplies and through fundraising events such as the “Water for Haiti” Gala at Rosen Centre in 2006. The gala raised more than $300,000—enough to purchase and send 200 water filtration devices to Haiti. In February 2010, the foundation established the Haiti Relief-Rebuild-Sustain Program in response to the country’s devastating earthquake. The program immediately began providing emergency supplies and is currently developing “The Little Haiti House” project to provide affordable, safe housing for Haitians. Learn more at www.RosenHotels.com/Haiti

Haiti Relief

For many years, the Harris Rosen Foundation and Rosen Hotels & Resorts associates have collected and personally delivered food, water filters, school supplies and medical supplies to the citizens of Haiti. The cause is near and dear to Rosen’s heart as more than one third of Rosen Hotels & Resorts associates are Haitian or of Haitian descent. In 2005, through the company’s “Water for Haiti” gala, more than $320,000 was raised, enough to purchase and deliver 200 water filtration devices to Haiti.

The company joined forces with Senator Bill Nelson’s Office and various local Haitian Community Leaders to provide direct assistance to the victims of the earthquake through a “Relief-Rebuild-Sustain” Program. Overall, the Harris Rosen Foundation has raised close to one million dollars for Haiti earthquake relief and continues to work on developing the low-cost, eco-friendly Little Haiti House Village.

Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen established the Harris Rosen Foundation because he wanted to give to those in need, but recently, he’s used his charitable organization as a means to encourage young people to give back as well. In 2010, Students at Lake Highland Preparatory School (LHPS) raised more than $116,000 for earthquake victims in Haiti. Through his foundation, Rosen matched those funds, in addition to the company conducting numerous other fundraising, food and supply drives as part of his larger Relief-Rebuild-Sustain program for Haiti.

Japan Relief

In 2011, LHPS students conducted several fundraisers to collect money for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and they asked Rosen, who serves as Orlando’s Honorary Consul General of Japan, to match what they raised. Through a Japanese Relief Benefit concert and other small fundraisers, the students of LHPS raised an astounding $43,240. Rosen, true to his word, matched the amount dollar for dollar.

On Wednesday, March 21, Harris Rosen, President and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts and the Harris Rosen Foundation and Honorary Consul General of Japan in Orlando, presented a $100,000 check to the Tohoku region of Japan and Urayasu, Japan to aid in relief efforts from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The announcement was made during a Japan Earthquake Relief check presentation ceremony held at 10 a.m. at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was there to help present the check and spoke about Orlando’s sister city relationship with Urayasu, Japan, which shares Orlando’s roots in tourism as the home to Tokyo Disney Resort.

Zumbathon

Rosen Hotels & Resorts associates enjoy free Zumba and other wellness classes as part of the company’s wellness program. Associates chose to put their Zumba training to good use, hosting two Zumbathon fundraisers — one to benefit Haiti Relief and another for Japan Relief. Participants were asked to provide a donation and enjoy a two-hour Zumba class at Rosen Shingle Creek hosted by local instructors.

United Services Organization

Through the foundation, Rosen, an avid supporter of America’s armed forces, sponsored the 2010 USO Cartoonists Tour to Afghanistan. The tour was supported in memory of Rosen’s father, Jack, who traveled as a cartoonist on similar USO tours from World War II through Vietnam. Jack’s Place restaurant, located in Rosen Plaza, is named after his father and adorned with selections from an impressive collection of more than 100,000 warm and humorous autographed caricatures including Jackie Kennedy, Hank Aaron, Indira Gandhi and Henry Kissinger, which his father sketched throughout a 30-year career as a security engineer at the Waldorf=Astoria®.

Local Beneficiaries

The foundation supports many charitable organizations closer to home, too. Since 2010, Harris Rosen has served as Honorary Chairperson of the Central Florida Cattle Barons’ Ball, helping to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Additionally, Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ year-long “Sleepover for the Cause” travel package donates five percent from each sale to the Central Florida Chapter of the American Cancer Society. Another significant contribution is the $5.5 million Rosen donated to construct the Jack and Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando Jewish Community Center. In total, Rosen has also donated more than $200,000 to the Central Florida YMCAs.

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