Category: Press Releases

The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation Partners with Runway to Hope to Aid Central Florida Families of Children Fighting Cancer

Orlando Charity to Present Ninth Annual Fundraiser May 18, 2019 at Rosen Shingle Creek

ORLANDO (April 2, 2019) – The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation announces that it is partnering with Central Florida’s premier pediatric cancer charity event, Runway to Hope’s Spring Soiree, to help Orlando families with children fighting cancer. The foundation honors the life and legacy of Adam Michael Rosen who passed away from brain cancer this past November at 26. The son of Trisha Rosen and Orlando hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen, Adam bravely fought a two-and-a-half-year battle against Gliomatosis Cerebri, a rare malignant brain tumor.

Runway to Hope, founded in 2010 by Orlando attorney Mark NeJame and his wife Josie, is honored to announce that its renowned premier annual event now will be known as The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation presents Runway to Hope’s Spring Soirée.

“The hope and strength Adam displayed during his battle with cancer now drives the mission of the foundation that bears his name,” said Harris Rosen. “Adam was a passionate supporter of many meaningful causes. I’m grateful that through his foundation, Adam’s legacy of courage in the face of adversity and an unbridled enthusiasm toward helping those in need will persevere through partnerships with impactful charities such as Runway to Hope.”

This year marks Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ sixth year as an event sponsor. This new initiative expands the Rosen company’s support of Runway to Hope’s mission and its commitment to help Central Florida families battling pediatric cancer. This year’s gala will be held on Saturday, May 18 at the AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek.

Runway to Hope’s annual event welcomes a glittering assembly of local and national celebrities for a one-of-a-kind gala. The evening’s highlight is an inspiring and heartwarming fashion show, featuring more than 160 incredibly brave children, who are fighting – or have overcome – their pediatric cancer. They walk the runway in outfits donated by Bloomingdale’s, while escorted by local and national celebrities, overjoyed by the cheers and tears of an adoring crowd of 2,400 attendees. The children have the night of their lives, forgetting for a brief time about chemotherapy, radiation, daily doctor visits, surgeries and pain. It is an evening of celebration, allowing these wonderful children a night to simply be children.

Adam Rosen was a charming presence at Runway to Hope’s annual fundraiser, where he lit up the runway as a celebrity escort known for his dapper attire, stylish bowties, dazzling smile and most importantly, heartfelt devotion to the children and families impacted by cancer.

Trisha Rosen, Adam’s mother and a longtime Runway to Hope supporter, said it is fitting that her son’s legacy will benefit Central Florida families facing similar battles. “I know that Adam will be with us during this year’s Spring Soiree, and that warms my heart,” she said. “Through the support of his foundation, his fight will go on on behalf of the children helped by Runway to Hope and I can’t think of a better way to honor his life.”

In February, Harris Rosen and his foundation also honored Adam with a $12 million gift to the University of Florida, the cornerstone of an ambitious fundraising commitment to advance innovative brain tumor immunotherapy research and care at UF Health and to launch an unprecedented partnership for the development of novel brain tumor treatments.

Mark and Josie NeJame were inspired to create Runway to Hope after the birth of their two daughters. Having raised millions of dollars, the charity initially provided funding for pediatric oncology programs at the three Central Florida children’s hospitals where the programs were were absent or underfunded. Since then, the non-profit has expanded to also provide direct financial assistance to local families battling pediatric cancer through the its Family Assistance Program. Josie NeJame commented, “We are so touched that Runway to Hope was chosen by the Rosen family and foundation as a way to be able to continue to honor Adam. Together we keep his love, spirit, legacy, and courage alive through The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation presents Runway to Hope’s Spring Soiree. We believe that his contagious smile and kind heart continues to beam down upon us.”

Runway to Hope is honored to have been recognized as the “Best Charity in Central Florida” more than a dozen times in publications including Orlando Style, the Orlando Business Journal and Orlando Magazine, among others.

For more information including sponsorship opportunities with Runway to Hope and The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation presents Runway to Hope’s Spring Soirée, visit www.RunwaytoHope.org or contact Laura Lockner, Executive Director, Runway to Hope, laura@runwaytohope.com, 407-802-1544. For more information about The Adam Michael Rosen Foundation, visit www.facebook.com/AdamMichaelRosenFoundation.

YMCA Names Aquatic Center After Harris Rosen, Who Saved It More Than 25 Years Ago

ORLANDO (July 26, 2018) – The YMCA Aquatic Center at 8422 International Drive in Orlando has been officially renamed the Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center in honor of Harris Rosen, who led the fight against the center’s demise more than 25 years ago.

Rosen, a prominent Orlando hotelier and avid swimmer, turned activist for the facility in 1992 when the private center, then called the Justus Aquatic Center, was shut down by the mortgage holder.

“I remember arriving at the center one day and finding some Special Olympians hovering about,” said Rosen. “One of the youngsters recognized me as a swimmer there. They asked me if they’d done something wrong, to have it closed. It broke my heart. I knew I had to do something.”

Respecting its place within the fabric of the Orlando community, and especially the swimming community, Rosen called upon celebrities, organizations, and even Orange County to help save the competitive swimming center.

Under his visionary leadership, the facility was ultimately gifted to the YMCA of Central Florida and revenue-generating programs were put in place to help offset operating costs. Rosen has donated millions to the YMCA, some of which will continue to be used for renovations over the next few years.

“Harris Rosen took it upon himself to save this facility, and, at the time, gave the YMCA of Central Florida one of only two competitive swimming centers in Florida. This allowed us to increase our impact in the Central Florida community and it is only fitting to honor him by renaming this facility,” said Dan Wilcox, President and CEO, YMCA of Central Florida.

“I am deeply honored by this recognition,” said Harris Rosen, President & COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts. “I have been so blessed to be a part of this community and I hope this facility serves as a reminder to all the children and competitors who enter, that with courage, drive and determination, anything is possible.”

Additional capital renovation donors to the new Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center include: OUC, Lochinvar, Duke Energy, Modern Plumbing, Trinity Surfaces, Cree and Rentex.

The newly renamed Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center is a state-of-the-art facility featuring two Olympic-size swimming pools and new diving platforms. It is home for many competitive swimmers, divers and water polo players.

For Rosen, however, one of its biggest impacts to the community rests in the lives of the hundreds of children who have learned drowning prevention and swimming skills there.

“Who knows how many children have avoided water-related tragedies because of the programs here at the Aquatic Center. It truly saves lives, and I will forever champion the cause to keep our children safe in the water,” said Rosen.

The facility was also selected to host the 2018 UANA Pan American Masters Championships, making it the second-ever American site to host the event. The 2,500-athlete competition began July 25, one day after the Rosen dedication ceremony.

The 2018 UANA Pan American Masters Championship will run until Aug. 12 with events like swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, water polo and open-water swimming. Competitors will represent 43 Swimming Federations in North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. It is believed that Orlando’s popularity will make this one of the largest swimming competitions in North America, outside of a World Championship. In a previous announcement, U.S. Masters Swimming CEO Dawson Hughes called the Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center one of the “most respected” aquatic centers in the country.

“They have experience hosting large events and the facility, volunteers and community support to showcase this international event,” said Hughes in the announcement.

Rosen built Rosen Hotels & Resorts into the largest independent hotel company in Florida while never losing sight of those philanthropic roots, especially in relation to the community support of the facility. In addition to Rosen Hotels & Resorts being a hotel partner for the Pan American Masters Championship, it is an annual sponsor of the Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center. Rosen has donated millions to the YMCA of Central Florida and currently serves on the board of directors for the Aquatic Center. The Harris Rosen Foundation has also contributed tens of millions of dollars to the founding and support of educational and youth-benefiting programs and scholarships throughout the Central Florida area.

About YMCA of Central Florida

For over 130 years, the YMCA of Central Florida has focused on strengthening communities through Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. Operating 27 YMCA Family Centers across Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Brevard, Lake and Marion counties, the Y is on a mission to improve the lives of all in Central Florida by connecting individuals, families and communities with opportunities based on Christian values that strengthen Spirit, Mind and Body. As one of the area’s largest non-profits, Y serves over 400,000 Central Floridians per year and employs 1,800 Y staff who join together with thousands of donors, volunteers and advocates to empower our community for good. To join the cause or for more information, visit ymcacentralflorida.com.

About Rosen Hotels & Resorts

Rosen Hotels & Resorts owns and operates nine quality hotels in the center of Orlando’s world-famous attractions, shopping and entertainment. Combined, the nine properties feature more than 700,000 square feet of versatile meeting and event space and close to 7,000 guestrooms, minutes from the Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center and Orange County Convention Center. Guided by founder and President Harris Rosen’s unsurpassed standards of quality and service, the company’s team of experienced professionals will help make your Orlando vacation or convention the most memorable experience. For more information, visit rosenhotels.com.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts – Three Rosen Scholarship Recipients To Enter Rollins

Winter Park, Fla. (May 25, 2018) — The first recipients of the Harris Rosen – Rollins College Scholarship have been selected. Donayja Gates, Tylyiah Andrews and Samijah Butler, high school seniors from Orlando’s Tangelo Park and Parramore neighborhoods, received the scholarships and will enter Rollins this Fall. Gates is currently in the medical program at Jones High School and hopes to pursue a career in cognitive behavioral therapy. She is a member of the National Honor Society and a scholar-athlete, pitching on the softball team. Andrews is captain of the softball team and a varsity volleyball player at Jones High School. She recently received the Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year Award from her local club. She hopes to study computer science at Rollins. Butler plays on the varsity basketball team and the flag football team at Dr. Phillips High School. She also plays the piano and drums.

“We are grateful to have The Harris Rosen Foundation as a partner in identifying and supporting outstanding students from the Parramore and Tangelo Park communities to attend Rollins,” said Faye Tydlaska, vice president for enrollment management at Rollins. “Our selection committee was impressed with the accomplishments of our new Rosen Scholars, and we look forward to welcoming them on campus this fall.”

For the last 25 years in Tangelo Park, and the last two years in Parramore, Rosen has partnered with local community organizations and Florida public colleges and universities to assist students from those neighborhoods to attend and graduate college. He provides scholarship funding that includes tuition, room, board and books and collaborates with community organizations to ensure the students receive the mentoring and other support they need to help them succeed. This year, Rollins College was added as an option from which the students whom Rosen supports can choose.

Studies have shown that low-income students who attend more selective colleges such as Rollins have higher rates of retention and graduation than those who attend less selective institutions. The Rollins College mission of educating students for global citizenship and responsible leadership means that students from Tangelo Park and Parramore not only will have opportunities to attain an outstanding Rollins education, but also will have increased chances of becoming leaders who will give back to their communities.

Under the agreement between The Harris Rosen Foundation and Rollins College, Rosen will fund the remainder of participating students’ costs of attendance at Rollins after the College applies available federal, state, and internal financial aid dollars. The students will take advantage of existing mentoring and other non-financial support in the Rosen Foundation’s Tangelo Park and Parramore scholarship programs, in addition to experiencing the world-class academic preparation, career planning, and other support services at Rollins.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts Since 1974, Harris Rosen, President & COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, has been committed to providing outstanding value and service to guests at his nine Orlando hotels. The award-winning collection features three convention properties and six leisure hotels, which when combined provide 6,693 guestrooms, 700,000 square feet of meeting space, an 18-hole championship golf course, two spas and numerous restaurants. Through The Harris Rosen Foundation, Rosen has funded the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, (ranked a top hospitality school by CEO Magazine), the Jack and Lee Rosen JCC and has provided hundreds of college scholarships through his Tangelo Park and Parramore programs and to Rosen College students and his own associates and dependents. For more information, visit RosenHotels.com.

About Rollins College: Founded in 1885, Rollins College is Florida’s oldest college. Located in Winter Park, near Orlando, Rollins is consistently ranked as one of the top regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to full-time undergraduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts, Rollins offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs for working adults through its evening program at the Hamilton Holt School and graduate business degree programs through its Crummer Graduate School of Business, which has been ranked a top MBA program by Forbes and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Rollins serves approximately 3,200 degree-seeking students annually. For more information, visit www.rollins.edu.

Orlando Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Announces Scholarships to Rollins College For Tangelo Park and Parramore Students

Winter Park, Fla. (Nov. 7, 2017) — Renowned Central Florida hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen has partnered with Rollins College to offer three full college scholarships to Tangelo Park and Parramore students.

Rosen is expanding on the successful model he created to help students from Orlando’s traditionally under-served Tangelo Park and Parramore neighborhoods attain their dreams of achieving a college education debt-free. The Rollins partnership provides that three students annually combined from Tangelo Park and Parramore will receive full scholarships to attend Rollins College, a private liberal arts college in the Orlando suburb of Winter Park. The first recipients of the program will enroll at Rollins in Fall 2018.

“The Rollins College community is honored to partner with Harris Rosen and the Tangelo Park and Parramore communities to make the Rollins experience available to hard-working students who desire and deserve the opportunity of a great liberal arts education,” said Rollins College President Grant H. Cornwell. “We are thrilled to be a part of an outstanding program, and we look forward to a long partnership that will produce great benefits for two important communities.”

For the last 25 years in Tangelo Park, and the last two years in Parramore, Rosen has partnered with local community organizations and Florida public colleges and universities to assist students from those neighborhoods to attend and graduate college. He provides scholarship funding that includes tuition, room, board and books and collaborates with community organizations to ensure the students receive the mentoring and other support they need to help them succeed. The new agreement adds Rollins College to the college or university options from which the students whom Rosen supports can choose.

“We’re incredibly appreciative of this new partnership with Rollins College, a highly-acclaimed learning institution in our own backyard,” said Rosen Hotels & Resorts® President Harris Rosen. “This new program now broadens the scope of opportunities available for these deserving students and will provide an education that will most assuredly prepare them for life-long success and foster a spirit of contributing to society.”

Studies have shown that low-income students who attend more selective colleges such as Rollins have higher rates of retention and graduation than those who attend less selective institutions. The Rollins College mission of educating students for global citizenship and responsible leadership means that students from Tangelo Park and Parramore not only will have opportunities to attain an outstanding Rollins education, but also will have increased chances of becoming leaders who will give back to their communities.

Under the agreement between The Harris Rosen Foundation and Rollins College, Rosen will fund the remainder of participating students’ costs of attendance at Rollins after the College applies available federal, state, and internal financial aid dollars. The students will take advantage of existing mentoring and other non-financial support in The Harris Rosen Foundation’s Tangelo Park and Parramore scholarship programs, in addition to experiencing the world-class academic preparation, career planning, and other support services at Rollins.

Rollins College

Founded in 1885, Rollins College is Florida’s oldest college. Located in Winter Park, near Orlando, Rollins is consistently ranked as one of the top regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to full-time undergraduate programs in the College of Liberal Arts, Rollins offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs for working adults through its evening program at the Hamilton Holt School and graduate business degree programs through its Crummer Graduate School of Business, which has been ranked a top MBA program by Forbes and Bloomberg Businessweek. Rollins serves approximately 3,200 degree-seeking students annually. For more information, visit www.rollins.edu.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts®

For more than 43 years, Harris Rosen, President & COO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts®, has been committed to providing outstanding value and service to guests at his nine Orlando hotels. The award-winning collection features three convention properties and six leisure hotels, which when combined provide 6,694 guestrooms, 700,000 square feet of meeting space, an 18-hole championship golf course, two spas and numerous restaurants. Through The Harris Rosen Foundation, Rosen has funded the building of a new school in Haiti, the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, (ranked a top hospitality school by CEO Magazine), the Jack and Lee Rosen JCC and has provided hundreds of college scholarships through his Tangelo Park and Parramore programs and to Rosen College students and his own associates and dependents. For more information, visit RosenHotels.com.

Orlando Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Has Received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette

On November 3rd, 2016, the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2016 Autumn Imperial Decorations. President & COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts® Harris Rosen is one of the 96 foreign recipients and he received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, one of the highest ranking civilian honors awarded to those from other countries. “In serving as the Honorary Consul General of Japan in Orlando from November 2010 to October 2016, Harris has been an avid supporter of and invaluable resource to Japanese residents, visitors and companies in the Orlando area,” said Ken Okaniwa, Consul General of Japan for Florida. “In addition, he has given generously to further the student exchange program between Orlando and its Sister City of Urayasu, and assisted the relief efforts for the victims of the 2011 Japan Great East Earthquake and Tsunami. This recognition is greatly deserved.” Orlando is home to the most concentrated community of Japanese nationals in Florida and also welcomes Japanese tourists to local attractions. Additionally, 25 Japanese companies located in and near the Orlando area are expanding. Rosen has supported all of them in the stead of the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami due to the distance between South Florida and Orlando. He has also provided a venue for Japanese consular services. Florida’s largest independent hotelier and a noted philanthropist, Rosen donated the honorarium he received as Honorary Consul General to the Orlando Hoshuko, which teaches Japanese language and culture to the children of the region’s Japanese community. Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, he organized numerous charity events and presented $100,000 toward relief efforts. For more information about the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami, visit http://www.miami.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html or call (305) 530-9090.

Orlando Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Awarded Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award by The King Center, Atlanta

Orlando Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Awarded Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award by The King Center, Atlanta

ORLANDO (Jan. 23, 2015) – Orlando hotelier and philanthropist Harris Rosen, President & COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts®, received the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award at the 32nd Annual Salute to Greatness Awards Dinner presented by The King Center in Atlanta. The King Center, formally known as The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, was established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The awards ceremony took place on Jan. 17, 2015 (in observance of the late Dr. King’s 86th birthday) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta.

The awards event recognized just four honorees. The Salute to Greatness Award, one of the King Center’s highest honors, was awarded to former President Bill Clinton, the 42nd president of the United States, and to Bernard J. Tyson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente. The Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. (Advancing Nonviolence through Generations of Exceptional Leadership) Award was given to Harris Rosen and to Aidan Thomas Hornaday, founder of the Aidan Cares Foundation. The award is given in honor of and in keeping with the spirit of the late Coretta Scott King and recognizes a youth or young adult and a youth organization/initiative which exemplifies exceptional leadership in the areas of peace, social justice and nonviolent social change. The honor was established and awarded for the first time in 2013.

Rosen was being recognized for his more than 20 year commitment to the Tangelo Park Program, a three-fold educational community service initiative within the once drug- and crime-ridden Tangelo Park neighborhood of Orlando. In 1992, as Rosen was planning his seventh property, Rosen Shingle Creek®, he was struck with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for his many blessings and decided it was time to give back to his community. By 1993, he had created the Tangelo Park Program, a personally funded concept. His innovative program provides free preschool for every two-, three-, and four-year-old child living in the neighborhood and a full community college or four-year college, or a vocational or technical school scholarship for every graduating high school senior. In addition, the program provides a Neighborhood Center for Families where parents can take parenting courses and obtain counseling and other resources to help them become positive role models for their children.

When Rosen created the Tangelo Park Program, the community’s high school dropout rate was 43 percent higher than the national average. Not long after the program began, high school graduation rates soared with an almost zero dropout rate. To date, more than 280 young people have now attended college or vocational school. “I am so honored that the Tangelo Park Program has been recognized by The King Center and I am truly humbled to receive an award given in the spirit of Mrs. Coretta Scott King,” said Rosen. “I will be happy to accept the honor on behalf of the Tangelo Park community and especially all of the youngsters who have worked so hard over the past 20 years to better themselves through the gift of education.”

Established in 1968 by Mrs. Coretta Scott King, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) has been a global destination, resource center and community institution for over a quarter century. Nearly a million people each year make pilgrimage to the National Historic Site to learn, be inspired and pay their respects to Dr. King’s legacy. Both a traditional memorial and programmatic nonprofit, the King Center was envisioned by its founder to be “no dead monument, but a living memorial filled with all the vitality that was his, a center of human endeavor, committed to the causes for which he lived and died.” That vision was carried out through educational and community programs until Mrs. King’s retirement in the mid-1990s, and today it is being revitalized.

Celebrating more than 40 years in business, Rosen Hotels & Resorts® comprises nearly 6,500 guest rooms at seven Orlando hotels: three convention properties – Rosen Plaza®, Rosen Centre® and Rosen Shingle Creek®, as well as four value-priced leisure properties – Rosen Inn International; Rosen Inn, closest to Universal; Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando; and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista. For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com.

Orlando Hotelier and Philanthropist Harris Rosen Accepts Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Gives Public Address at His Alma Mater, Cornell University

Rosen Honored with Prestigious Alumni Award during Annual Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration April 14-15

ORLANDO (April 20, 2011) — Orlando businessman and philanthropist Harris Rosen, who was recently named Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2011, accepted the honor in a keynote address to fellow alumni, students, faculty and staff during the school’s annual Entrepreneurship@Cornell Celebration on April 14 at the university’s Statler Auditorium.

The two-day conference, held April 14-15, was attended by more than 900 students, alumni, faculty and staff from 11 colleges and programs throughout the university and featured symposia from participating groups; the final stages of two business idea contests; a showcase of soon-to-be commercial technologies; a technology, business and resource expo and a gala banquet.

The Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 award is given annually to a Cornell University graduate who best exemplifies entrepreneurial achievement, community service and high ethical standards. Now the President & COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts® in Orlando, Rosen received his Bachelor of Science degree from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration in 1961. After working for several hotel chains, Rosen purchased a bankrupt 256-room Quality Inn in Orlando in 1974 and now owns and operates the largest independent hotel chain in Florida with 6,300 rooms, or approximately six percent of the total room inventory in Central Florida. His lodging portfolio includes seven properties in the Orlando area, including three convention hotels within one mile of the Orange County Convention Center — Rosen Plaza®, Rosen Centre® and Rosen Shingle Creek® — and four leisure hotels — Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Quality Inn International and the Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista.

In his keynote address, Rosen said, “Lately, more entrepreneurs are understanding they have a responsibility to give back and be thankful for the blessings they’ve received. It’s a wonderful trend that is gaining momentum which is gratifying to see.”

Past recipients of the Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year award have included Lubna Olayan (2010), CEO of Olayan Financing Company, the holding company for Olayan Group’s operations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East; Jay Walker (2009), founder of Priceline.com; Howard Milstein (2008), co-chairman, president and CEO of Emigrant Savings Bank and its holding company, New York Private Bank and Trust, and managing partner of Milstein Properties; Kevin McGovern (2007), CEO and Chairman of McGovern Capital and key shareholder in more than 15 companies.

For the last four years, Rosen has hosted a group of Cornell University students for “Alternative Spring Break” in which they spend one week in Orlando working with at-risk youth from the disadvantaged Tangelo Park neighborhood. The spring break program works hand-in-hand with Rosen’s Tangelo Park Program that he created in 1994 to benefit children and teens in the once drug- and crime-riddled neighborhood. Through the program, Rosen provides a free preschool education for all 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds, and all Tangelo Park youth who are accepted to a vocational school, community college, junior college or a four-year public college in Florida receive a completely free education to include, tuition, books, room and board. Thus far, approximately 190 Tangelo Park students have received full college scholarships.

In 2009 and 2010, the Orlando Business Journal recognized Rosen as a “Healthcare Hero” and one of the area’s “Top 10 CEOs,” a recognition he has received for many years. In 2007, he was honored by readers of Orlando Magazine for making the “Best Contribution to Orlando” and as one of the area’s “Most Influential Executives.” He was also named “Best Corporate Citizen” by the magazine in 2006, 2007 and 2010.

Rosen received Sustainable Florida’s Legacy Award in 2010 for his environmental efforts and community contributions, the “Citizen of the Year” award by the Florida School Board Association in 2009 and numerous industry awards including being inducting into the Visit Florida “Tourism Hall of Fame” in 2010 and being named “Hotelier of the Year” by the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in 2010.

Over the past 37 years, Rosen Hotels & Resorts® has grown from 256 to approximately 6,300 rooms, approximately six percent of the total guest rooms in Central Florida. Today, the Rosen family of hotels, which includes the AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek®, the award-winning Rosen Centre® and Rosen Plaza®, and four leisure properties ideally located in the Orlando tourist corridor, including Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, Rosen Inn, Quality Inn International and the Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista, remain committed to providing outstanding value for all guests.

For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com or call 866-33-ROSEN.

For more information on Entrepreneurship @ Cornell Celebration 2011, visit entrepreneurship.cornell.edu/activities/celebration/2011.

Harris Rosen Foundation Partners with Orlando’s Lake Highland Preparatory School to Raise $86,480 for Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

Hotelier and Philanthropist Matches Dollar for Dollar Funds Raised by Students

ORLANDO (April 15, 2011) – 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.

Students at Lake Highland Preparatory School (LHPS) recently 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.

The benefit concert was held March 27 with more than 200 students showcasing their talents in music, theatre and dance, including numbers from The Wizard of Oz, Oliver and Alice in Wonderland. The ensemble cast was joined by two internationally recognized players of the koto (a Japanese stringed instrument) who were accompanied by two students who did a traditional Japanese dance. There was no admission charge for the performance, but donations of any size were accepted.

Many of the school’s 2,030 students gathered at an outdoor assembly on April 11, along with Mr. Rosen, to present their combined check of $86,480 for Japanese Relief. The businessman and philanthropist congratulated the students on their fundraising success and also gave a word of advice, “As you become more and more successful in life, be sure to find a way to use that success to help others.”

Through his connections as Honorary Consul General, Rosen will help determine how to best put the donation to use.

This is the second time that Rosen has matched funds raised by LHPS. Last year, the student body raised more than $116,000 for earthquake victims in Haiti, another cause near and dear to Rosen’s heart as more than one third of Rosen Hotels & Resorts® associates are Haitian or of Haitian descent. Through his foundation, he also matched those funds, in addition to conducting numerous other fundraising, food and supply drives as part of his larger Relief-Rebuild-Sustain program for Haiti. 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.

Due to its competitive wages and outstanding associate benefit program, including the onsite Rosen Medical Center, wellness programs, continuing education and language development programs, Rosen Hotels & Resorts® has one of the lowest associate turnover rates in the hotel industry. Funding from the Harris Rosen Foundation has allowed for the creation of the Tangelo Park Project, which provides free preschool, college and vocational education to disadvantaged youth; the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management; and the Jack and Lee Rosen Southwest Orlando Jewish Community Center. The Foundation also contributes to numerous charitable organizations throughout Central Florida and beyond each year.

The Rosen Hotels & Resorts® family includes three award-winning convention properties, Rosen Plaza®, Rosen Centre® and Rosen Shingle Creek®, and four leisure properties in the Orlando tourist corridor, including the Quality Inn International, Rosen Inn closest to Universal, Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando and Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista.

For more information, visit www.rosenhotels.com or call 866-33-ROSEN.

Founded in 1970, Lake Highland Preparatory School is a coeducational, independent day school with two campuses totaling forty-two acres in the heart of Orlando. LHPS educates 2,030 students from grades Pre-K though 12 in a rigorous college preparatory program. The school is accredited by Florida Council of Independent Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and Florida Kindergarten Council.