Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico (PRWEB) March 30, 2012

Vacation Storebuilder (VSB), an advanced SaaS website platform for the vacation rental industry, has announced the launch of a destination-branded website for luxury homes in the Mayan Riviera. The Vacation Storebuilder-powered website focuses on showcasing premier vacation rental homes located along the beaches of Quintana Roo, increasing online revenue for property owners and providing luxury accommodations for the growing number of guests seeking private, luxury Yucatan vacation rentals.

Akumal Villas’s vacation homes sit just an hour south of Cancun, Mexico, 20 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen and 20 minutes north of Tulum. With 2 Bedroom homes to 10 bedroom estates, Akumal Villas offers an unforgettable vacation experience to all types of travelers, Now with the VSB powered site, Akumal Villas can showcase the individuality, private appeal and true luxury found in these unique Yucatan vacation homes. The site seamlessly integrates with Escapia, their property management software, to provide real-time online booking to guests.

Dean Blume, VP of Development for Vacation Storebuilder said, “As a robust website-building platform for the vacation rental industry, Vacation Storebuilder continues to demonstrate its flexibility to provide websites that directly serve clients’ needs in very meaningful ways. With this particular VSB powered website, Akumal Villas can utilize the site to showcase these unique properties, provide private beach vacations to this unique and stunning area of Mexico, and increase revenue for Akumal’s property owners.”

Vacation Storebuilder, provides vacation rental property managers the ability to launch websites complete with easy content management, online booking, owner management, CRM functionality, reporting and a robust package of marketing tools. The platform allows vacation providers to showcase their properties with rich content, make inventory available at optimal rental rates, and help drive traffic to the site.

About Vacation Storebuilder / Vibes Interactive

Vacation Storebuilder (VSB), a division of Vibes Interactive and member of the Vacation Rental Managers Association, launched in 2010 and is an advanced e-commerce Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform which enables vacation rental and ownership companies to quickly implement and manage eCommerce websites for vacation rental management, prospect generation, resale and membership product marketing. Our turnkey solutions provide robust websites which showcase properties, drive traffic, increase conversion, and manage membership and ownership. For more information visit http://www.VacationStorebuilder.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/3/prweb9354333.htm

<!–See more photos in the gallery–>

THE FILM:
Could Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. ever in his wildest dreams have imagined that his little one-off novelty record “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” back in 1958 would have spawned an empire that would include number one Billboard hit singles, multiple television series, comic books and a trio of multi-million dollar feature films? Doubtful, but for over half a century the adventures of Alvin, Simon, Theodore and their human “dad” Dave have been continually popular in all of their various media endeavors.

The recent ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNK movies from 20^th Century Fox have featured state of the art computer animation bringing the chipmunks into a very music-filled live action world. For the most part, critics have panned all of them but since the weakest grossing of the films brought in well over $300 million to Fox’s coffers, who cares what the critics think? These films are made for the kids, not the adults, and the team bringing them to a theater near you has found the magic formula for success. So put on your big red “A” sweater and grab some helium, The Chipmunks are probably going to be around for a long time still.

We pick up Alvin (voiced by Justin Long), Simon (voiced by Matthew Gray Gubler), Theodore (voiced by Jesse McCartney), their girl group partners The Chipettes Brittany (voiced by Christina Applegate), Jeanette (voiced by Anna Faris), and Eleanor (voiced by Amy Poehler) and their manager/father figure Dave (Jason Lee) as the group embark on a well deserved vacation cruise before heading to the International Music Awards. Needless to say, the vacation is anything but restful as Alvin manages to get the group (along with David Cross’ bitter and vindictive Ian Hawke) marooned on a desert island complete with erupting volcano. Nods to everything from the Tom Hanks film CASTAWAY to LORD OF THE FLIES ensue as the chipmunks befriend the islands only other inhabitant, the possibly crazy Zoe (Jenny Slate), and Simon gets stung by a spider and changes into the romantic adventurer, Simone (voiced by Alan Tudyk.)

CHIPWRECKED, like the two previous installments in this franchise, is aimed far more at kids than at a family. This isn’t HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON or an ICE AGE movie (which we do get a bonus “Scrat” short to on this disc) that works just as well on the adult level as it does on the kids level. This is for the pre and early teen group and it works just fine for them. Thankfully, the story (as predictable as it is) isn’t complete torture for adults as there are jokes and references (like a great Sarah Palin nod) for the parents as well as fun and clever character arcs filled with moral lessons you can discuss with your young one. If your child is chomping at the bit to see this entry into their favorite chipmunk franchise, don’t go into it with a sense of dread, it’s actually not that bad.

THE DISC:
As one would expect from a recent big Hollywood release, the anamorphic 1.85 transfer is spot on. Bright, vivid colors are well saturated and pop nicely. Our CG chipmunks blend perfectly with the live action environments and never look artificial. Detail is sharp and there is even a nice, faint layer of film grain giving it a real movie feel. Overall, a very nice looking picture.

Also as one would expect for a rollicking kids movie, the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix is loud, active and clear as a bell. Our high pitched heroes and heroines sound great and we are thrown into their tropical world of exploding volcanoes and distant ocean waves with a terrific immersive sound environment. Crank it up and watch your kids have a blast.

THE EXTRAS:
The goodies are all aimed squarely at the young ones and die hard Alvin fans.

“Munk Music Dance Machine” allows you to skip the plot and watch nothing but the nearly 20 minutes of songs and dance scenes from the movie.

“Going Overboard with The Chipmunks” is for the die hard fans. Producers Ross Bagdasarian and Janice Karmen talk about all the animated incarnations of Alvin and the Chipmunks and the episodes they gleaned inspiration from to create this movie.

“Munking Movies in Paradise” focuses on shooting inHawaii.

“Everybody Munk Now” is a behind the scenes look at the salsa dance off scene.

“Alan Tudyk, Chipmunk Apprentice” is a cute look at how Simon’s voice actor Matthew Gray Gubler trained Tudyk into channeling his inner chipmunk to voice Simone.

“Fox Movie Channel Presents GROWING UP ALVIN” has Bagdasarian Jr. reminiscing about his father.

“Fox Movie Channel Presents IN CHARACTER WITH JASON LEE” is a surprisingly serious look with the actor discussing how he is tackling Dave Seville for a third outing.

Three “Music Videos” are available with handy dandy sing-along option.

Eight “Extended Scenes” offer nothing of significance.

The “Promotional Fun” section offers a half dozen fun shorts and trailers.

MY SAY:
Definitely aimed squarely at the tween audience, CHIPWRECKED will delight the kids to no end while parents will be rewarded now and then with a clever one liner or reference. 

20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment / 2011 / 87 min. / G

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Vacation Storebuilder (VSB), an advanced SaaS website platform for the vacation rental industry, has announced the launch of a destination-branded website for luxury homes in the Mayan Riviera. The Vacation Storebuilder-powered website focuses on showcasing premier vacation rental homes located along the beaches of Quintana Roo, increasing online revenue for property owners and providing luxury accommodations for the growing number of guests seeking private, luxury Yucatan vacation rentals.

Akumal Villas’s vacation homes sit just an hour south of Cancun, Mexico, 20 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen and 20 minutes north of Tulum. With 2 Bedroom homes to 10 bedroom estates, Akumal Villas offers an unforgettable vacation experience to all types of travelers, Now with the VSB powered site, Akumal Villas can showcase the individuality, private appeal and true luxury found in these unique Yucatan vacation homes. The site seamlessly integrates with Escapia, their property management software, to provide real-time online booking to guests.

Dean Blume, VP of Development for Vacation Storebuilder said, “As a robust website-building platform for the vacation rental industry, Vacation Storebuilder continues to demonstrate its flexibility to provide websites that directly serve clients’ needs in very meaningful ways. With this particular VSB powered website, Akumal Villas can utilize the site to showcase these unique properties, provide private beach vacations to this unique and stunning area of Mexico, and increase revenue for Akumal’s property owners.”

About Vacation Storebuilder / Vibes Interactive

Vacation Storebuilder (VSB), a division of Vibes Interactive and member of the Vacation Rental Managers Association, launched in 2010 and is an advanced e-commerce Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform which enables vacation rental and ownership companies to quickly implement and manage eCommerce websites for vacation rental management, prospect generation, resale and membership product marketing. Our turnkey solutions provide robust websites which showcase properties, drive traffic, increase conversion, and manage membership and ownership. For more information visit http://www.VacationStorebuilder.com.

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Royal Shell Vacations, Inc., a leading provider of Southwest Florida luxury vacation rentals, announced today the acquisition of Cashiers Resort Rentals, located in Cashiers, North Carolina. This purchase follows the recent business partnership between Landmark Realty Group and The Royal Shell Companies of Southwest Florida, earlier in March, 2012.

Royal Shell Vacations has been offering Naples, Fort Myers, Captiva Island and Sanibel Island vacation rental services to customers since 1994, creating a boutique style of vacation rental management dedicated to exceeding the expectations of owners and guests alike. With over eighteen-hundred (1,800) vacation rental units under management, Royal Shell Vacations has consistently been the leader in the Southwest Florida vacation rental market year after year, having been consistently voted the best vacation rental company on Sanibel and Captiva Islands since 2004.

The Royal Shell Group of Companies offers market leading vacation rental, real estate, and property management services, across thirteen (13) offices located in Sanibel and Captiva Islands, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Naples, Ocala, Florida and Cashiers, NC. The Royal Shell Companies are comprised of Royal Shell Vacations, Inc., a full service vacation rental company with home watch services (http://www.RoyalShell.com); Royal Shell Rentals, a full service seasonal and annual rental company (http://www.RoyalShellRentals.com); Royal Shell Real Estate, Inc., a full service real estate brokerage company (http://www.RoyalShellSales.com); Royal Shell Property Management, a full service Condominium and Homeowner Association Management company; Royal Shell Golden Ocala, a Golf and Equestrian Club in Ocala, Florida and Landmark Realty Group, a full service real estate brokerage company. The Royal Shell business model integrates vacation rentals and real estate sales with a “white glove” approach to customer service. The combined efforts of these companies allow homeowners and investors all of the conveniences necessary to maximize return on investment, while enjoying impeccable customer service at every level.

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Day 19 of Mark Anthony Soliz’s capital murder trial in the 413th District Court delivered emotional testimony from family members of his victims and the revelation that he attempted to contact a potential female juror.

Jurors on March 9 convicted Soliz, 30, of Fort Worth, for the June 29, 2010, shooting death of Nancy Hatch Weatherly, 61, in her home near Godley. Jurors must now decide whether to sentence Soliz to life in prison or death by lethal injection. Soliz has also been indicted for capital murder in Tarrant County, but not yet tried, for the same-day shooting death of 29-year-old delivery truck driver Ruben Martinez in the parking lot of a Fort Worth convenience store. Soliz’s defense attorneys — Michael Heiskell and Greg Westfall — rested Wednesday after having called several experts to testify that Soliz suffers from partial fetal alcohol syndrome, allegations prosecutors challenged throughout the punishment phase of Soliz’s trial. 

Prosecutors called several rebuttal witnesses on Thursday morning and rested their case about 11 a.m. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. today.

A female relative of Martinez sobbed openly when Soliz entered the courtroom, before jurors had arrived for the morning, and had to be led from the courtroom.

“I know today’s going to be very emotional for everyone,” a bailiff announced after the woman left the room. “But everyone has to be careful to watch their emotions and facial expressions. The jury can’t see anything like that.”

The bailiff said anyone who begins to become upset should step out of the courtroom and said they will not be allowed to stay if they don’t. 

Several family members and friends of Weatherly and Martinez attended Thursday’s hearing.

Letters

Prosecutors first called Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jimmy Johnson to the stand to discuss letters sent to and from Soliz during his incarceration at the Johnson County Law Enforcement Center. 

Officials inspect mail to and from all inmates, Johnson said, looking for contraband and threats either by the inmate or against the inmate.

Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Larry Chambless presented Johnson with two letters, one from Soliz to his girlfriend, Gloria Serrano, on Feb. 13 and a second to another woman on the same day. 

Westfall strongly objected to the admission of the second letter and, after a brief conference among attorneys in front of Judge Bill Bosworth’s bench, Bosworth sent jurors out of the courtroom.

The letter is to a woman who sat on the panel of prospective jurors for Soliz’s case who was dismissed during voir dire and not ultimately chosen as a juror. Johnson said Soliz’s letter to the woman was intercepted but did not indicate whether the woman was made aware of the letter.

Westfall objected saying that introduction of the letter raises the question of how Soliz obtained the woman’s address. 

Tarrant County Assistant District Attorney Christy Jack, who is assisting on Soliz’s Johnson County case, said the letter debunks claims by defense attorneys that Soliz suffers from diminished capacity.

“The fact that he can memorize this [woman’s address] shows just how dangerous he is and that he’s a future threat,” Jack said.

Which, Jack said, contradicts recent testimony from experts called by the defense that Soliz functions on the mentality of a child. Prosecutors throughout the punishment phase argued that Soliz is manipulative, knows the difference between right and wrong and chose to commit the crimes for which he stands accused. As such, Soliz poses a continuing danger and should receive the death penalty. Soliz’s attorneys have argued for life in prison in the alternative, presenting evidence of Soliz’s partial fetal alcohol syndrome, among other maladies, coupled with an early life of severe neglect and abuse.

Soliz, prosecutors said, apparently saw the woman’s name and address on a list sometime during the five-week selection process of jurors for his trial. Soliz saw the list either on his attorneys’ table or on the district clerk’s table, prosecutors said, and memorized it, then wrote a letter to the woman once he returned to jail.

Westfall characterized those scenarios as assumptions on the part of prosecutors, assumptions he neither confirmed nor denied. 

“They just assume he memorized it,” Westfall said. “But the missing piece can only come from [either Westfall or Heiskell].”

The danger, Westfall said, is the issue of how Soliz obtained the address could force Westfall or Heiskell to have to take the stand as a witness, in which event they would have to withdraw themselves from representing Soliz.

Presenting the letter to jurors without explaining who the woman is would be impossible, Westfall said, since the letter discusses her being on the prospective jury panel. 

Bosworth allowed admission of the letter, but told prosecutors to mark out the section referencing her involvement on the potential jury panel.

Heiskell, during a break in testimony, declined to comment on how Soliz found the woman’s address.

Soliz begins the letter by saying he hopes his letter finds the woman, “In da best of health and higher of spirit,” before continuing on, “Well … you don’t know me, but my name is Mark Anthony Soliz.”

Later in the letter, Soliz expresses interest in the woman.

“At da same time I was caught up in that smile of yours,” Soliz writes of the woman’s time on the jury panel. “Had me smiling myself on which I uselly don’t. There was something about you that got my attention. You keep waving your hand up. I don’t know if that was a sign to say that you was marrie or it was a engagement ring. I don’t know, so I’m asken. R U with anyone?”

In a letter to his girlfriend, Serrano, Soliz writes, “Hey I need you to do something for me. Do you fell like kicken some [expletive deleted] for me. If so then let me know.”

Soliz signs the letter, “Much Love, Kilo Gangster.” Kilo, according to court testimony, is Soliz’s street or gang name.

Heiskell, on cross, asked Johnson if he recalled a Feb. 5 letter from Soliz to his mother, Donna, which concerned someone trying to assault Donna. Johnson said he did not recall that letter. Heiskell nonetheless implied that Soliz’s letter asking Serrano to kick some [expletive deleted] references the assault against his mother.

Family members testify

Lisa Martinez, wife of Ruben, cried several moments on the stand before she could manage to tell Jack that she and Ruben met in high school when they were 16 and later married in 2003. Martinez said the couple have a 7-year-old son, and she told jurors she was eight months pregnant when Ruben was murdered.

Westfall objected to testimony from Martinez and members of Weatherly’s family, arguing that they fail to rebut mitigating evidence offered by the defense during Soliz’s punishment phase and that such witnesses should have been called during the guilt-innocence phase of his trial.

Bosworth, after reading a Supreme Court opinion addressing the matter supplied by Jack, overruled Westfall’s objections. 

Martinez recalled she, Ruben and their son laying in bed watching TV the night before June 29 and a 5:45 a.m. phone call the morning of that day from her mother-in-law.

“She said, ‘Lisa, what happened?’” Martinez said. 

Martinez said she had no idea what her mother-in-law was talking about at first.

“She said something really bad had happened to Ruben but didn’t have any details,” Martinez said. 

Martinez said she called her mom and they, not knowing where Ruben was or what had happened, drove around, “didn’t even know where we were going,” and kept calling her mother-in-law until they finally learned that Ruben had been taken to John Peter Smith Hospital.

Shot in the back of the head, Ruben could not talk and remained paralyzed from the head down, able only to blink his eyes, until he died 13 days later.

“Very basically like a zombie,” Martinez said when asked how she felt seeing Ruben in the hospital. “I don’t know how I was. The first day was worst, after that just numb.”

With Ruben unable to move his arms, Martinez said she often placed his hand on her stomach so he could feel their unborn son. The look in Ruben’s eyes in those first days was fear and shock, Martinez said. Ruben refused to believe he was going to die at first, but eventually accepted it. 

“I didn’t want to believe it either,” Martinez said. “But there was nothing I could do, nothing to go by, just my faith.”

Ruben worked 40 hours a week and loved her and their son most of all, Martinez said, adding that she misses him everyday.

Weatherly’s daughter-in-law, Kila Davis, who also testified during the guilt-innocence phase of the trial, followed Martinez. 

Davis called Weatherly funny, witty, kind, creative.

“The best mother-in-law, mother and grandmother you could ever hope to find,” Davis said.

Davis called Weatherly a role model who taught her how to be a great mother and a great mother-in-law and grandmother in the future.

Weatherly, who lived on the property adjacent to the Davis’ lived through a “really bad” childhood and young adulthood, Davis said. Davis, in testimony delivered during Soliz’s guilt-innocence phase, said Weatherly’s recent years, living next door to her son, Ben Davis, and family were among her best. The Davis family was two days into a vacation cruise when word of Weatherly’s murder reached them, Davis said.

Weatherly, who had been diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer requiring her to travel to New Orleans to be treated by a specialist, received an all-clear bill of health in May 2010, just weeks before Soliz shot and killed her, Davis said.

Davis said she and Ben have been married 25 years and that he is now a different person who goes weeks without being able to get out of bed, often can’t sleep, rarely talks anymore and feels guilt and anger over his mother’s murder. 

Davis said Weatherly’s death left her, “angry, very angry.”

Weatherly’s grandsons, 18 and 13, also testified, both calling their grandmother a fun-loving friend who was always there for them.

“Always there for us if we needed anything, the first one we called, and now she’s not there anymore,” the oldest grandson said.

Jack displayed pictures of the grandson and Weatherly fishing, including one picture of Weatherly kissing a fish.

“She always told us, the first fish you catch, you got to kiss it,” the grandson said. “I don’t know, it was just one of her rules.”

The same grandson remembered calling Weatherly at 11:30 p.m. one night and telling her he wanted to go fishing, expecting her to say wait till tomorrow morning.

“Yeah, get stuff on,” Weatherly told her grandson. 

The younger grandson said he and Weatherly were both creative and artistic and spent hours together painting and drawing. 

Soliz watched attentively as the witnesses testified but showed no emotion.

Bosworth denied Heiskell’s motion that the jury be precluded from considering the death penalty as an option during deliberation.

DENVER, Mar 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Auctioning vacations to raise money for charitable causes is not a new
concept. But Inspirato,
a luxury destination club that offers multimillion-dollar vacation
properties in the world’s finest destinations, today announced a new
initiative to help nonprofits raise funds year round by allowing
supporters access to Inspirato’s exclusive portfolio of luxury vacations
through a new online platform: InspiredGiving.com.

Inspirato’s Inspired
Giving program makes it easy for people to donate to a nonprofit
organization and enjoy a luxury travel experience — at a
discount. After making a $2,000 tax-deductible donation via the website
to the Inspired Giving cause of their choice, donors can book a
7-night luxury vacation at nightly rates up to 50 percent less than
market rates, and enjoy personalized service from an Inspirato vacation
advisor and on-site concierge.

“Inspired Giving is a unique way for people to donate to a
charitable cause using money they’ve already set aside for a vacation,”
says Jackie
Benton, the executive director of Inspirato’s new program. “You
could spend $6,000 on your next trip, or you could make a $2,000
donation to an important cause and spend the remaining $4,000 — or less
— enjoying a luxury vacation at members-only rates.

“By traveling with Inspired Giving, your vacation will be
more, and it will do more.”

To launch Inspired Giving, Inspirato has partnered with more than
30 charitable organizations, including the Andre
Agassi Foundation, American
Diabetes Association, Crohn’s
Colitis Foundation, Lance
Armstrong Foundation, and Malaria
No More. A complete list of charitable partners you can donate to
through the Inspired Giving website is available online.

The inspiration for Inspired Giving grew out of the success
Inspirato has had to date raising funds for nonprofit organizations.
Since January 2011, when Inspirato first opened its doors, the club has
raised more than $750,000 for various charitable groups — ranging from
small, local causes to larger, multi-national nonprofits.

“Our vacation offerings really strike a chord with high-end donors,”
says Benton. “They are looking for luxury experiences and don’t want to
play ‘vacation roulette’ with their precious free time. Many auctions
feature rental homes that are really unknown entities, with no one to
lend a hand once you arrive. Or you have hotel rooms that can’t even
begin to offer the space and comfort that a family needs. The Inspirato
homes in the Inspired Giving program average about 2,500
square feet, are meticulously managed and maintained, and have on-site
concierge services. Plus, with our new online platform, anyone can give
and travel year round — not just the winner at a yearly auction.”

The Inspired Giving program currently offers about 1,000 vacation
options at 50 different Inspirato properties across 14 destinations —
Aspen, Colo.; Deer Valley, Utah; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Kohala Coast,
Hawaii; Los Cabos, Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; Naples, Fla.; Newport Coast,
Calif.; Punta de Mita, Mexico; South Walton, Fla.; Steamboat Springs,
Colo.; Tahoe, Calif.; Tuscany, Italy; and Vail, Colo.

For nonprofits, Inspired Giving “opens the doors to a sustainable
way of raising money because it can be done year round and is not tied
to one event, such as a gala or a walk-a-thon,” explains Benton. “It’s
also a great way to offer something special to donors, and an
opportunity to gain exposure with new audiences.”

Every charitable organization that participates in Inspirato’s Inspired
Giving program also receives one 7-night luxury vacation to use for
its own fundraising efforts, and receives an additional $2,000 from
Inspirato for every donor who later becomes a club member.

“With Inspired Giving, donors can enjoy Inspirato’s luxurious
accommodations and supreme service, and enjoy the satisfaction of
knowing their vacation also helped raise money for a cause that’s close
to their heart,” says Benton.

About Inspirato

Designed specifically for a new generation of luxury consumers,
Inspirato offers the best of destination club consistency and service,
together with unmatched value, flexibility and low-cost membership. Our
members have access to an ever-growing portfolio of luxury homes in the
world’s top destinations, including California, the Caribbean, Colorado,
France, Hawaii, Italy, London, Mexico, New York City and more. By
leasing vacation properties (rather than owning), Inspirato is able to
keep membership fees low, offer up to 50 percent off market rates, and
easily add homes and destinations as demand increases. Our innovative
business model has led to rapid growth since our January 2011 launch,
placing Inspirato at the forefront of the “luxury for less” movement.
For more information about Inspirato, visit
www.inspirato.com .

SOURCE: Inspirato

        Inspirato
        Katherine Davis Strauss, 303-884-6261
        VP, Public Relations
        kstrauss@inspirato.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

DENVER, Mar 21, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Auctioning vacations to raise money for charitable causes is not a new
concept. But Inspirato,
a luxury destination club that offers multimillion-dollar vacation
properties in the world’s finest destinations, today announced a new
initiative to help nonprofits raise funds year round by allowing
supporters access to Inspirato’s exclusive portfolio of luxury vacations
through a new online platform: InspiredGiving.com.

Inspirato’s Inspired
Giving program makes it easy for people to donate to a nonprofit
organization and enjoy a luxury travel experience — at a
discount. After making a $2,000 tax-deductible donation via the website
to the Inspired Giving cause of their choice, donors can book a
7-night luxury vacation at nightly rates up to 50 percent less than
market rates, and enjoy personalized service from an Inspirato vacation
advisor and on-site concierge.

“Inspired Giving is a unique way for people to donate to a
charitable cause using money they’ve already set aside for a vacation,”
says Jackie
Benton, the executive director of Inspirato’s new program. “You
could spend $6,000 on your next trip, or you could make a $2,000
donation to an important cause and spend the remaining $4,000 — or less
— enjoying a luxury vacation at members-only rates.

“By traveling with Inspired Giving, your vacation will be
more, and it will do more.”

To launch Inspired Giving, Inspirato has partnered with more than
30 charitable organizations, including the Andre
Agassi Foundation, American
Diabetes Association, Crohn’s
Colitis Foundation, Lance
Armstrong Foundation, and Malaria
No More. A complete list of charitable partners you can donate to
through the Inspired Giving website is available online.

The inspiration for Inspired Giving grew out of the success
Inspirato has had to date raising funds for nonprofit organizations.
Since January 2011, when Inspirato first opened its doors, the club has
raised more than $750,000 for various charitable groups — ranging from
small, local causes to larger, multi-national nonprofits.

“Our vacation offerings really strike a chord with high-end donors,”
says Benton. “They are looking for luxury experiences and don’t want to
play ‘vacation roulette’ with their precious free time. Many auctions
feature rental homes that are really unknown entities, with no one to
lend a hand once you arrive. Or you have hotel rooms that can’t even
begin to offer the space and comfort that a family needs. The Inspirato
homes in the Inspired Giving program average about 2,500
square feet, are meticulously managed and maintained, and have on-site
concierge services. Plus, with our new online platform, anyone can give
and travel year round — not just the winner at a yearly auction.”

The Inspired Giving program currently offers about 1,000 vacation
options at 50 different Inspirato properties across 14 destinations —
Aspen, Colo.; Deer Valley, Utah; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Kohala Coast,
Hawaii; Los Cabos, Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; Naples, Fla.; Newport Coast,
Calif.; Punta de Mita, Mexico; South Walton, Fla.; Steamboat Springs,
Colo.; Tahoe, Calif.; Tuscany, Italy; and Vail, Colo.

For nonprofits, Inspired Giving “opens the doors to a sustainable
way of raising money because it can be done year round and is not tied
to one event, such as a gala or a walk-a-thon,” explains Benton. “It’s
also a great way to offer something special to donors, and an
opportunity to gain exposure with new audiences.”

Every charitable organization that participates in Inspirato’s Inspired
Giving program also receives one 7-night luxury vacation to use for
its own fundraising efforts, and receives an additional $2,000 from
Inspirato for every donor who later becomes a club member.

“With Inspired Giving, donors can enjoy Inspirato’s luxurious
accommodations and supreme service, and enjoy the satisfaction of
knowing their vacation also helped raise money for a cause that’s close
to their heart,” says Benton.

About Inspirato

Designed specifically for a new generation of luxury consumers,
Inspirato offers the best of destination club consistency and service,
together with unmatched value, flexibility and low-cost membership. Our
members have access to an ever-growing portfolio of luxury homes in the
world’s top destinations, including California, the Caribbean, Colorado,
France, Hawaii, Italy, London, Mexico, New York City and more. By
leasing vacation properties (rather than owning), Inspirato is able to
keep membership fees low, offer up to 50 percent off market rates, and
easily add homes and destinations as demand increases. Our innovative
business model has led to rapid growth since our January 2011 launch,
placing Inspirato at the forefront of the “luxury for less” movement.
For more information about Inspirato, visit
www.inspirato.com .

SOURCE: Inspirato

        Inspirato
        Katherine Davis Strauss, 303-884-6261
        VP, Public Relations
        kstrauss@inspirato.com

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Just 7 percent of Latinos ages 25 and older hold college degrees in California, compared with 30 percent of all Californians in that age bracket, according to a newly released report highlighting the ethnic disparities in higher education.

The report from the Los Angeles-based Campaign for College Opportunity advocacy group also noted that the transfer rate among Latino students from community colleges to four-year colleges is about half that of white students (14 percent vs. 29 percent). The report, titled “Latino Students and Higher Education: California Profile,” drew from a variety of sources of data, mostly from 2009, the latest available.

“Latino families have very high aspirations, and yet there’s this huge gap between the aspirations and the reality,” said Michele Siqueiros, executive director for the Campaign for College Opportunity. “We think one of the big challenges is awareness, information and knowledge. … Those things are absolutely not happening at the level we’re seeing.”

Officials with the Campaign for College Opportunity say that the number of Latino students who are going to college and graduating in California is growing in absolute terms, but not nearly fast enough to keep up with the state’s growing Latino population. As a result, the proportion of Latinos in higher education is shrinking.

While some gains are being made at some schools, “a lot of schools don’t see their main job or function as preparing kids for college,” Siqueiros said.

“We’re seeing some changes, but not to the scale we want to see them,” she said. “They aren’t happening at every single school in California.”

The report, released last week, noted that only 16 percent of Latino high school graduates were taking the courses necessary to qualify for admission to the University of California and California State University systems, and only half of those qualifying enrolled in those systems.

O.C. education officials have said they’ve long been working to address the wide achievement gaps between Latino students and their white and Asian counterparts, but acknowledge immense challenges remain, including language barriers, a lack of understanding of the U.S. education system and a culture that tends to value work over education.

Drastic state funding cuts for public education also have eliminated resources for those most academically vulnerable, leaving grassroots groups and privately funded initiatives to fill the gaps, said Lucy Dunn, president of the Orange County Business Council, which runs the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative resource network.

“The lack of uniform resources is, I think, a result of state budget cuts,” Dunn said. “The state has hacked away at the job of doing education. Because of that, the private sector tries to backfill the things that the public sector can’t do.”

The council’s Latino Educational Attainment Initiative provides resources and networking opportunities to help Latino parents in Orange County understand how to get their children to college. The initiative expanded its reach into 18 schools last year alone, which speaks to the growing need for such programs countywide, Dunn said.

Other Latino educational outreach programs include the Fullerton Collaborative, a project of the Fullerton School District that helps Latino parents understand how to navigate even the most basic aspects of the U.S. school system.

In Santa Ana, the Padres Promotores de la Educación group, or Parent Promoters of Education, canvasses local neighborhoods on a routine basis, distributing fliers about key school events and meeting one-on-one with families to provide school and college planning advice.

The Campaign for College Opportunity advocates even more aggressive intervention strategies to boost Latino college-going rates, including implementing statewide accountability systems for students who receive state financial aid, and requiring community colleges to provide mandatory diagnostic assessments and comprehensive educational plans to all students.

To view the full report, go to: http://www.collegecampaign.org/resources/our-publications.

Contact the writer: 949-454-7394 or smartindale@ocregister.com

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