Give Yourself a Break - for Charity

Bargain hunters should have their good-deal radars set for August 8th when an on-line charity auction featuring $1 reserve accommodation and dining options throughout New Zealand’s InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) begins in aid of disadvantaged families.

Called ‘Give a Family A Break’, the Salvation Army project will use money raised during the auction month to assist up to 30 disadvantaged New Zealand families have a one-week holiday away from the family home during the coming summer.

Available through on-line auction site Sella, options will include accommodation, mini-breaks and dining packages at the five New Zealand IHG properties – InterContinental Wellington, Crowne Plaza hotels in Auckland and Queenstown, and Holiday Inn hotels in Auckland and Rotorua, with new auction lots loaded regularly throughout the month. The individual hotels will also be undertaking other fundraising activities during the four weeks until September 4th.

“The programme enables us to offer disadvantaged families the opportunity to experience a camping style holiday, something they may never have had before,” said Major Robert Ross, Territorial Public Relations Secretary with The Salvation Army.

“Last year, the InterContinental Hotels Group raised an impressive - and most appreciated - $26,417 which had a significant impact on the success of the Give a Family A Break programme.”

Major Ross said experience shows that taking a break from the everyday can have definite therapeutic value, giving a family time out to re-establish family ties.

“The fact that such a range of highly desirable entertainment and leisure products is offered by IHG to raise funds for this initiative is huge for us, and makes such a difference to a lot of people. And we love that both the givers and receivers are the recipient of something a little special.”

Geoff Naumann, Director of Sales and Marketing for InterContinental Wellington, says IHG’s ongoing commitment is part of a long-term relationship the group has with The Salvation Army, which the staff really support and enjoy.

“We want to make the deals as attractive as possible to as wide a range of people as possible.”

Auction highlights will include standard and luxury accommodation packages, behind the scenes experiences and special dining.

In addition to the online auctions, all of the New Zealand IHG hotels have commenced other fundraising activities such as sausage sizzles, lobby coin boxes and in-room envelopes. The accumulated money will be combined with the charity auction results for the Give A Family A Break vacation total.

Log on to www.Sella.co.nz August 8th – September 4th and give a little to share a lot.

www.sella.co.nz/ihg

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Notes to Editors:

The Salvation Army has been fighting poverty and social distress in New Zealand since 1883. Each year The Salvation Army helps over 100,000 New Zealanders who face hardship such as hunger, homelessness, social isolation, addiction and unemployment.

The Salvation Army helps people by offering a ‘hand up’, not a ‘hand out’ and works with families to meet both their short-term and long-term needs. Our many community services include food banks, budgeting courses, employment training, youth programmes, supportive accommodation, family tracing, emergency services, parenting and life skills programmes, support for seniors, court and prison services and addiction services.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is the world's largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,150 hotels and almost 620,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world's largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with 42 million members worldwide.

IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 200,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com and information for the Priority Club Rewards programme at www.priorityclub.com. For the latest news from IHG, visit our online Press Office at www.ihg.com/media

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