Heralded as the single largest
fundraising event organized by Marriott International Inc. , runners,
walkers and bikers representing properties in Florida, Georgia and South
Carolina will attempt to raise more than $400,000 by participating in
Marriott’s 2004 Torch Relay. Event proceeds will benefit Children’s
Miracle Network (CMN). The 1,100-mile event kicks off with the lighting of the torch at
Marriott’s Villas at Doral in Miami tomorrow, Saturday, November 6,
launching the relay from South Florida to its final destination at
Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort in Stone Mountain, Ga. on Saturday,
November 13. As the eight-day relay travels across the tri-state area,
celebrations will be held in key cities. The relay will pass through Fort
Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville,
Fla.; Savannah, Macon and Atlanta, Ga.; and Hilton Head Island, South
Carolina.

Now into the relay’s fourth year, nearly 1,500 participants are working to
beat the 2003 record of $230,000. One method is through the online auction
where a wide variety of gift items and vacation getaways are available.
Moreover, the relay continues to grow not only in proceeds, but in
distance. The 2005 relay is already committed to becoming a nationwide
event, spanning coast-to-coast.

Children’s Miracle Network-the alliance of premier hospitals for children-
is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping kids by raising funds
for 170 children’s hospitals across North America. Marriott is a twenty
year CMN supporter, and its employees throughout the United States and
Canada raise funds for the organization as part of the company’s worldwide
“Spirit To Serve Our Communities” program.
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