With the holiday season upon us, I would like to encourage all the MRI members to consider using some of their points as a donation to a worthy cause. Currently, as posted on Marriott's site Donate Points, members have five choices to donate up to 50,000 points as a donation (Red Cross up to 280,000) and with Gold or Platinum status, there is no transaction fee to transfer points as a donation. Below are the choices and Charity Navigator
ratings (where found):
- National Academy Foundation (not listed)
- Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (Five Stars)
- Habitat for Humanity International (Two Stars)
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Three Stars)
- Hotels for Heroes (not listed)
I would like to encourage Marriott to consider adding the Independence Fund to their charity list. The Independence Fund mission is, "Moving our nation's severely injured veterans towards greater independence." While I am not advocating Fox News, here is a clip about the IF's most successful campaign known as their Mobility Program where they help veterans acquire high-tech wheel chairs known as Action Track Chairs: High-tech wheelchairs helping America's heroes get around.
(Another Fox News tidbit - Bill O'Reilly will mention large donations and corporations who assist the IF charity - free publicity for Marriott.)
A single Track Chair costs about $16,000 to deliver to a wounded veteran. Using the Red Cross donation matrix, a 50,000 point donation is worth approximately $172.50; so if only 93 members were to donate 50,000 points each, a deserving veteran gets a high-tech wheel chair.
God Bless Our Soldiers.