Diamond Resorts Invitational Raises $570,000 for Florida Hospital for Children

The Diamond Resorts Invitational was bigger and better in 2017 with the addition of PGA TOUR Champions and LPGA players, and the annual donation check to the Florida Hospital for Children (FHFC) increased to $570,000. The January pro and celebrity golf tournament has now donated over $2,000,000 to the Florida Hospital for Children since 2013. In this photo from left to right, Dick Batchelor, Chairman of Florida Hospital for Children Foundation; David Collis, Vice President of Development, Florida Hospital for Children; Robert DiGisi, Vice President of National Marketing for Diamond Resorts International; Marla Silliman, Senior Executive Officer for Florida Hospital for Children; David Shook, Medical Director of Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant, Florida Hospital for Children; and Michael Flaskey, Chief Operating Officer, Diamond Resorts International. (Photo credit: Mark Bearss, Diamond Resorts International)

ORLANDO, Fla.--()--As a result of funds raised at the recent Diamond Resorts Invitational, Diamond Resorts International® presented a check for $570,000 to Florida Hospital for Children. The proceeds were raised during the annual event’s silent and live auctions at Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Celebration, Florida, from January 12-15, 2017. The tournament-related events have now raised more than $2.3 million for Florida Hospital for Children over the past four years.

Florida Hospital for Children is one of the premier children’s hospitals in the nation, setting standards for innovation, quality and comprehensive care. The child-centric healing environment designed to keep kids comfortable is complemented by a staff of world-class doctors, specialists, nurses and healthcare professionals utilizing advanced technologies, therapies and treatments. Florida Hospital for Children’s team of over 135 highly skilled pediatric specialists delivers extraordinary care across more than 35 pediatric subspecialties, including a children's emergency department; the Level IV Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center; a world-renowned pediatric heart center; a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU); and the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Central Florida’s first and only pediatric bone marrow transplant program affiliated with Duke Health. Florida Hospital for Children’s flagship facility is a seven-story, 201-bed state-of-the-art hospital designed with the help of Walt Disney Imagineers, families and clinicians. (www.floridahospitalforchildren.com)

“Year after year, Diamond Resorts International® exceeds our expectations and continues to provide tremendous support through proceeds raised at their live and silent auctions at the Diamond Resorts Invitational,” said Marla Silliman, Senior Executive Officer, Florida Hospital for Children. “We are honored to accept this generous donation as it will further our commitment to saving children’s lives and improving their health.”

The Diamond Resorts Invitational™ was nationally televised on Golf Channel from Friday, January 13 through Sunday, January 15, and featured a groundbreaking format with 27 PGA TOUR Champions, four LPGA stars, and 48 sports and entertainment celebrities. The historic event marked the first time multiple LPGA players have competed individually against the PGA TOUR Champions in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event. The Diamond Resorts Invitational was a week-long, full-scale, multidimensional vacation experience consisting of activities for all ages, family-friendly excursions, dinner parties and headline concerts featuring performances by Jana Kramer, Colt Ford, Jake Owen and Diamond Resorts’ newest celebrity ambassador, Cole Swindell.

“The Diamond Resorts Invitational is a unique platform that allows us to leverage our ability to deliver hospitality on a large scale, while also giving back to our local community,” said Michael Flaskey, Chief Operating Officer, Diamond Resorts International®. “We have seen all the ways that our donations have made a significant impact on the lives of the children and families at Florida Hospital for Children over the years, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a contributor to the hospital’s vital lifesaving mission.”

About Diamond Resorts International®

Diamond Resorts International®, with its network of more than 370 vacation destinations located in 35 countries throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa, provides guests with choice and flexibility to let them create their dream vacation, whether they are traveling an hour away or around the world. Our relaxing vacations have the power to give guests an increased sense of happiness and satisfaction in their lives, while feeling healthier and more fulfilled in their relationships, by enjoying memorable and meaningful experiences that let them Stay Vacationed.™

Diamond Resorts International® manages vacation ownership resorts and sells vacation ownership points that provide members and owners with Vacations for Life® at over 370 managed and affiliated properties and cruise itineraries.

Contacts

Diamond Resorts International®
Stevi Wara, 702-823-7069
media@diamondresorts.com

Release Summary

Diamond Resorts International presented a check for $570,000 to Florida Hospital for Children for funds raised during the live and silent auctions at its annual Diamond Resorts Invitational.

Contacts

Diamond Resorts International®
Stevi Wara, 702-823-7069
media@diamondresorts.com