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“We just ask them to come with good walking shoes and sunscreen,
and a hat and a light jacket if we’re going up to the wind farm area or
down into the valley, because weather conditions could change,”
Nolan adds.
Eagle’s Wings Foundation offers owners and guests a wide range of
ways to participate. They can bring much-needed items such as
crayons, pens, clothing, toiletries, toys, etc., to be delivered to local
schools and orphanages. They can help raise funds through weekly
bingo nights at the resorts, or simply toss their leftover pesos in a box in
the resort lobby before returning home. At an annual meeting, owners
can sign up to lead gift-giving missions to local shelters. The founda-
tion’s activities are updated in a monthly newsletter and on the Eagle’s
Wings Foundation Mexico Facebook page.
Anantara attends to guest preferences without straying too far from
the level of luxury the brand is known for. “It’s a question of insuring a
level of service, then making sure that the premium that people pay to
be part of a five-star experience is going back into the community,”
Edwards says. “We feel we can support the community best, as well as
live up to our role as a luxury hotel chain, by designing guest experi-
ences that allow the expertise of the local community to be harnessed
and to shine through, while allowing the guests to only push their com-
fort zone as far as they choose.”
Err on the Side of Education
In an age of wildlife documentaries and canned entertainment park
experiences, it’s important to offer substance. A sea turtle release or
opportunity to roam alongside Asian elephants can prompt “oohs” and
“ahhs,” but the key is to elevate the experience to the next level and give
guests something substantial they can take away.
For the Zankos, volunteering has led to a greater understanding of
the importance of the natural resources in Hawaii. Working in Honokowai
valley “makes me very conscious about where the water I’m drinking
here at the resort comes from,” says Carolyn.” I’m much more aware of
the land and the water resources and other natural resources here.”
Nolan agrees, adding that volunteering together gives parents an
opportunity to instill important values through interactions as a family.
“It’s a great way to educate children on giving back to the places that
you visit,” she says.
“We’ve gotten way more from the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort
Villas than I feel that we’ve contributed,” Jerry Zanko says. “With each
passing year, you acquire more appreciation for the people, for the cul-
ture, for the environment. There’s a change that occurs. I wish more
owners and guests would get involved in some of these projects,
because they have no clue as to what they’re missing out on.”
See page 2 for currency
conversions.
Joyce Hadley Copeland, based
in Tucson, Arizona, contributes
regularly to travel and
hospitality publications and
websites.
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While natural disasters don’t mix well with vacations, owners and
guests may find themselves in a position to lend a helping hand.
Heather Lavelle and Graeme Smith had exchanged their Bali
week for a stay at Gokarna Forest Resort, near Kathmandu, Nepal,
before trekking the Himalayas. A week before they were due to leave,
a 7.9 earthquake struck near Kathmandu, leveling villages and set-
ting off multiple avalanches. Assured that the resort was still opera-
tional, the pair decided to carry on with their plans, joining aide teams
and a few other guests staying at the resort.
“I am a nurse and I was able to bring quite a few medical sup-
plies,” Lavelle says. “The reception staff were very helpful with
arranging transport for me to deliver the items to a local hospital,
where it was much needed. We also spent a day delivering food sup-
plies to the family and friends of the bar manager. They had all lost
their homes in a village high in the mountains and were living in tents
with very limited supplies. It was a very humbling day.”
When a major aftershock canceled their Himalayas trek, Lavelle
and Smith left Gokarna Forest Resort. Realizing that an onslaught of
volunteers showing up to help without a plan can hinder relief efforts
when the crisis is as severe as this was, the couple reluctantly
returned home.
“The staff were absolutely marvelous and we got to know some of
them quite well. I will go back sometime in the future when the coun-
try has recovered,” Lavelle says.
FINDING HUMANITY IN
EARTHQUAKE CRISIS
Owners and guests at the Westin Ka’anapali get down and dirty as part of
a program that exposes them to Maui’s cultural and botanical heritage.