Travel South USA will once again organize a fund-raising event to provide a deserving tourism-related organization grant monies during the 2013 Travel South USA Showcase, February 17-19, 2013 in Little Rock, Arkansas. This year’s recipient is Heifer International’s Seeds of Change Project, which builds on the emerging local foods movement to foster economic development and improve access to nutritious, locally-produced food for the Arkansas Delta and other regions within the South.
A campaign to raise donations during Showcase is planned with the proceeds designated for this worthwhile project. The funds raised through these efforts will be used to make a difference with a grant to Heifer’s Seeds of Change initiative. A landing page has been created at http://travelsouthusa.org/ TravelSouthGiveBack to donate and purchase tickets for the Travel South Gives Back After-Hours Party on Monday, February 18, at Cajun’s Wharf Restaurant. Open to all Travel South Showcase delegates and local tourism professionals, the event will give participants the opportunity to dance, network, meet new and old friends, and have fun while supporting a great cause. Tickets are $20 and include live entertainment and two drink tickets. All proceeds will be awarded to the Seed of Change Project.
“I am delighted to work with Travel South USA in continuing this wonderful Give Back program,” shared Joe David Rice, tourism director, Arkansas Parks & Tourism and Travel South USA Board member. “What began as a simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief has continued for more than 65 years. In addition, Heifer International has now evolved into a significant tourism site in Little Rock and Arkansas. Tens of thousands of visitors from the U.S. and around the globe come to the Heifer Village located in downtown Little Rock, to experience a hands-on, global education facility and its over 80 unique museum-like interactive exhibits.”
Heifer Village is located across from the Clinton Presidential Library, and is designed as a sustainable and environmentally sensitive building, a platinum LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building, and adjacent to restored wetlands, which support native species. Groups and individuals also plan tours to visit the Heifer Learning Center at Heifer Ranch located in rural Perryville, Arkansas. The campus features two Heifer Global Villages, a challenge course, conference center, gardens, and animals including water buffalo, camels, goats, pigs and more. Both facilities offer a multitude of programs ranging from two hours up to five nights for senior groups, youth organizations, families and individuals that want to learn more about the issues and opportunities surrounding hunger and poverty. Each program introduces participants to the idea that one person can make a difference in ending hunger and poverty – and what can be done to help.
Heifer International’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in more than 50 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For more information, visit www.heifer.org or call 1-800-696-1918.
Travel South USA is America’s oldest and largest regional travel promotion organization, formed in 1965 by resolution presented at the Southern Governor’s Conference. The long-standing regional collaboration of the state tourism offices of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia provides a foundation which positions tourism as a vital and dynamic element in the region’s economic development. Tourism ranks throughout the region as one of the top three industries, behind manufacturing and agriculture, and is responsible for $122.6 billion in spending by visitors generating 1.37 million direct jobs, $29.7 billion in worker paychecks, and almost $16 billion in state and local taxes. For more information, visit www.TravelSouthUSA.com for consumer information and for travel industry information, www.TravelSouthUSA.org.
