11.10.14

Intercontinental® Milwaukee Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary of ‘Pink Rooms’

Hotel will unveil progress of renovated rooms,  present local breast cancer charity with largest donation to date at public celebration

Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 5, 2014 – InterContinental^® Milwaukee, which is owned and managed by Marcus^® Hotels & Resorts, is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its Pink Rooms—two special guest rooms designed to build awareness, raise funds, offer support and foster hope for those fighting breast cancer. Over the past five years, a portion of the proceeds from each stay in the rooms has been donated to ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, a Milwaukee-based organization whose mission is to provide free, personalized information and one-to-one support to people affected by breast cancer—patients, families and friends.

In honor of the milestone, the two Pink Rooms each have been given distinct new looks with updated upholstery, wall coverings, window treatments and accessories. The progress on the renovated rooms, designed pro bono by two local women, Ann Torcivia Hruz and Sue McCaffrey, will be unveiled at a public reception celebrating the anniversary on Wednesday, September 10, 2014, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in CLEAR Bar & Lounge, located inside the hotel. The designers worked with several vendors, including Atlas Carpet Mills, Calico Corners, City Lights, D. L. Couch Wallcovering, Designtex, Kellex, Pro Wisconsin, and Stu’s Flooring, who donated the new furnishings for the rooms at or below cost.

The evening of the event, Tim Smith, general manager of InterContinental Milwaukee, will be presenting ABCD with a check for $12,000—proceeds from the past year’s overnight stays in the Pink Rooms. The latest check brings the total donated since the inception of the program to nearly $50,000. Since the Pink Rooms opened, more than 2,000 guests from 42 states and 12 different countries have stayed the night in the special guest rooms.

“Over the past several years, the Pink Rooms have served as powerful symbols of hope and encouragement for both our employees and guests,” said Smith. “We are proud to be active in the local breast cancer awareness community and look forward to continuing our partnership with ABCD.”

“InterContinental Milwaukee and The Pink Room began its partnership with ABCD five years ago—and an amazing five years it has been,” adds Ginny Finn, executive director of ABCD. “The Pink Room project serves the dual purpose of significantly raising the profile of ABCD’s free services and raising funds to make sure all those who turn to us are served at no charge.”

At 5:00 p.m., the reception, featuring complimentary cake, appetizers and a specialty pink drink, ‘Tree of Hope’ contributions, and temporary pink hair painting from WELL Spa + Salon, will begin. A special presentation will be held at 6:00 p.m., with ABCD board member remarks and the check presentation from InterContinental Milwaukee to ABCD. The event will continue until 7:30 p.m. with Pink Room tours, raffles, and more.

On display at Gallerie M that evening through the end of October, will be photographer John Grant’s new exhibit, The Pink Balloon Project. The exhibit features patients and survivors of breast cancer.  “Pink” in the name The Pink Balloon Project signifies women with breast cancer. “Balloon” represents the buoyancy and sense of hope one needs to fight disease; it also represents lightness, and an ability to rise above obstacles. All of the women featured in the exhibit have been active with ABCD.

Over the years, InterContinental Milwaukee’s Pink Room concept has won numerous awards, including Honorable Mention in PR News’ Corporate Social Responsibility Awards anda national ‘Stars of the Industry’ award from American Hotel & Lodging Association in the category of guest relations.  

CLEAR is located inside InterContinental Milwaukee at 139 E. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Find the hotel on Facebook (facebook.com/InterContinentalMilwaukee) or follow it on Twitter (@InterConMKE) to learn more about upcoming exhibits, events and specials.

About the Pink Room

The initial idea for the Pink Room project came from three InterContinental Milwaukee employees’—who all share a personal connection with the disease—desire to support the fight against breast cancer. When guests of the Pink Room enter their room they’re greeted by an abundance of pink—from the comforter to the commissioned artwork. They’ll notice a laptop on the desk that opens up to the Pink Room blog, where they can read previous guests’ survival stories, learn about breast cancer events in the area and much more. InterContinental Milwaukee’s guests have been inspired by design concept and stories left on the Pink Room blog since the hotel began taking reservations for the Pink Rooms. More information on the Pink Rooms can be found at pinkroomstories.com.

About InterContinental Milwaukee

Whether you’re looking for vibrant nightlife or a uniquely refined place for meetings, InterContinental^® Milwaukee is your downtown destination.  Mixing sophisticated elegance with modern luxury, InterContinental Milwaukee offers a chic, upscale atmosphere with a twist of the unexpected. Adjacent to the scenic Milwaukee Riverwalk, InterContinental Milwaukee is centrally located to downtown’s business and theatre districts, parks, restaurants and nightlife.  Discover the historic Pabst Theatre, the Milwaukee Public Museum, or one of Milwaukee’s many summer festivals. InterContinental Milwaukee is located at 139 E. Kilbourn Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. Find the hotel on Facebook (facebook.com/InterContinentalMilwaukee) or follow it on Twitter (@InterConMKE) to learn more about upcoming exhibits, events and specials.

About Marcus Hotels & Resorts

Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), owns and/or manages 19 hotels, resorts and other properties in 10 states. A force in the hospitality industry, Marcus Hotels & Resorts provides expertise in management, development and historical renovations. The company’s portfolio includes a wide variety of properties including city-center meeting hotels, upscale resorts and branded first-class hotels. For more information, please visit www.marcushotels.com and follow the company on Facebook and Twitter (@MarcusHotels).

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