Hersha’s Sustainable Hospitality program, EarthView and the Chris Long Foundation, Team Up to Provide Clean and Accessible Drinking Water to Under-served Communities in East Africa

Philadelphia, Oct. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Hersha Hotels and Resorts announced today that EarthView®, their corporate social responsibility platform, will be providing support to the Waterboys program (www.Waterboys.org) - the hallmark initiative of the Chris Long Foundation. Hersha will donate $1 from the sale of each EarthView water bottle that is purchased at their hotels towards the funding of wells in East Africa.

Launched in 2015 by Philadelphia Eagles’ Chris Long, Waterboys unites NFL players from across the league in service. The charity provides underserved rural communities in emerging economies with clean, safe and sustainable water per well by drilling wells serving up to 7,500 people at a cost of $45,000, which comes out to just $6 per person. Six dollars (or six bottles of EarthView water) can save a life, send a child to school, and save countless hours spent retrieving water.

 In February of 2018, Waterboys achieved their initial goal of funding 32 wells to represent the 32 NFL teams. EarthView will fund a new well each year to help Waterboys realize its goal - to provide over one million people in need with water.

 “Waterboys is founded on the principle that by working as a team of players, fans and corporate supporters, we can help eradicate water scarcity and make a meaningful impact for communities in desperate need,” says Chris Long. “We are thrilled with the addition of Hersha Hotels and Resorts to the Waterboys team and the launching of an impactful program at hotel properties nationwide. “

 Hersha embraces environmental and community stewardship as an integral part of maintaining and building a successful business. To best put this mission into practice, in 2010 it conceptualized and developed its proprietary corporate social responsibility program called EarthView, encompassing a “triple bottom line” approach to sustainability and became a leader in green hospitality.

 “Hersha’s EarthView program shares our same commitment to bettering the world through protecting our natural resources and the undeniable right of individuals to have access to safe, clean water,” continued Long. “This program not only fulfills our mission of raising critical funds, but it also fulfills the important task of raising awareness about the clean water crisis which will ultimately create engaged supporters and result in faster solutions for communities.”

 The EarthView program delivers environmental and conservation programs that positively impact a hotel's bottom line while simultaneously improving the wellbeing of their guests, employees, communities and the planet.

 “EarthView and Waterboys together will be able to better thousands of lives. We are delighted to have Waterboys as a part of the Hersha family,” said Jay H. Shah, Hersha’s CEO. “Their mission is perfectly aligned with our EarthView program and we are pleased to work with Chris and Waterboys in support of such an impactful and meaningful cause.”

About Hersha Hospitality Trust

Hersha is a self-advised real estate investment trust in the hospitality sector, which owns and operates high-quality upscale hotels in urban gateway markets and coastal destinations. The Company's 49 hotels totaling 7,666 rooms are located in New York, Washington, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, South Florida and select markets on the West Coast. The Company's shares are traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “HT.” Additional information on Hersha Hospitality Trust can be found at hersha.com.

About HHM

HHM operates 125 hotels across the United States. It provides turnkey hotel management, investment, and development services for independent hotels and leading brand affiliations through Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Intercontinental Hotel Group. HHM’s highly experienced team is accustomed to serving as a fiduciary to publicly traded companies, joint ventures, institutional real estate owners and private investors. Additional information on HHM can be found at hhmhospitality.com.

About EarthView

Hersha Hotels and Resorts embraces environmental and community stewardship as an integral part of maintaining and building a successful business. In 2010, the company conceptualized and developed a proprietary corporate program called EarthView®, encompassing a “triple bottom line” approach to sustainability and became a leader in green hospitality. The program, enrolled in over 100 hotels nationwide, delivers environmental and conservation programs that positively impact a hotel’s bottom line while simultaneously improving the wellbeing of its guests, employees, communities and the planet. Additional information on EarthView can be found at hersha.com/EarthView.

 About Waterboys

Waterboys began during a 2013 trip by Long to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Long was struck by the beauty of Tanzania and the vibrancy of its’ people; he also witnessed great suffering due to a lack of clean water. While in Tanzania, Long met Doug Pitt, Goodwill Ambassador for Tanzania, and John Bongiorno, President of the non-profit WorldServe International, and was further educated on the needs and available solutions to the clean water crisis.

Returning home, Long began to envision a pathway to champion the need for clean water in East Africa while engaging other NFL players in the cause. In 2015, Long created the Waterboys Initiative, selecting WorldServe International as its benefiting charity. Waterboys works with WorldServe International to build wells to provide life-giving water and all that comes from it – the opportunity for education, good health, and economic stability. Since its start, there have been 29 NFL players that have served on the Waterboys roster, and 47 wells have been funded providing water to over 179,000 people. For more information, please visit Waterboys.org.

 

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Alexandra Mazza
HHM
alexandra.mazza@hhmlp.com

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