A huge 19 charities have benefited from the charity launch of Four Points by Sheraton, Sydney Central Park, held to mark the acquisition of the hotel by Dr Jerry Schwartz.
And if that’s not the most heartwarming thing you’ll read today, we don’t know what is.
The hotel, which soft opened in August, is the only new international hotel to open in Sydney in 2018, and the launch not only adds 297 rooms to the city’s accommodation inventory, it brought much-needed funds to the nineteen charities who took part in the event.
The charities supported were the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, Sir Roden & Lady Cutler Foundation, Parramatta Mission, Greenpeace, Our Big Kitchen, Oasis Youth Support Network, McGrath Foundation, Children’s Cancer Institute, Charlie Teo Foundation, Starlight Foundation, UNICEF, Cure the Future, Moving Against Domestic Violence, Giant Steps, Lifeline, Feel the Magic, ROMAC, Little Wings and Clown Doctors.
Charities were allocated up to 12 rooms each to use for fundraising, and over $350,000 is estimated to have been raised as a result of the charity initiatives.
NSW Tourism & Major Events Minister, Adam Marshall, was the official guest at the launch, and he praised the charities for their fundraising efforts and the work they did to support those in need.
Tanya Sarina, Head of Community Fundraising for the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation, spoke on behalf of the charities, saying that Dr Schwartz’s initiative not only enabled the charities to attract funds, it helped “shine a spotlight on the need for individuals and companies to support charities and help the most vulnerable in our community.”
Dr Schwartz said that this was the second hotel opening that he had used to support charities, following the launch last year of Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour.
“There’s no doubt I have been very fortunate being able to build my Sydney hotel network and see them perform so strongly, so my idea was to ‘give back’ to sections of the community who are doing it tough,” he said.
“The charities participating were from all walks of life – medical research, mental health, the environment, homelessness and many others. It was great to be able to share their stories and contribute to their future operations.”
Fittingly for a hotel built on the former site of the Old Kent Brewery, Dr Schwartz’s Sydney Brewery provided the beers for the evening.
The hotel forms an integral component of the Central Park regeneration project which has transformed the 5.8 hectare site into a mixed-use village incorporating apartments, offices, shops, restaurants, a public park and the new Four Points.
The launch marks a return of the Four Points brand to Sydney. The hotel is managed by Marriott, the largest hotel management company in the world.
