Generous Guests at The Ritz-Carlton Istanbul

Over the past year, guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul have enthusiastically donated over 110 pounds of supplies, clothing, and toys to students at Dinçba Elementary School through Pack for a Purpose. This has been an easy and meaningful way for our guests to add value to their travels and make a Big Impact for the rural school children in Van, Turkey.

This past summer, we received an email from a biology teacher at Zurich International School who was leading a group of students to Turkey. She expressed her students’ interest in joining the Pack for a Purpose campaign by gathering supplies and bringing them during their trip to Istanbul. Even though they were not staying at The Ritz-Carlton, it was our pleasure to collect the supplies from those students on behalf of the students who so desperately needed them in Van, the Eastern Anatolian City of Turkey that suffered from a devastating earthquake in October 2011. While many of our guests choose to pack for a purpose, we are also always pleased to accept supplies through Pack for a Purpose even if the traveler is not staying at the Ritz-Carlton.

In September of this year, as part of Community Footprints (The Ritz-Carlton social and environmental responsibility program), our Ladies and Gentlemen arranged and delivered the supplies brought by students from Zurich to Dinçba Elementary School. The delivery consisted of packages of pens, pencils, chalk, books, notebooks, clothing and other school supplies.

The photos show the excitement in the students’ faces! They were overjoyed to receive these critical supplies. The students from Zurich International School made a lasting contribution to this community simply by packing a few extra supplies. As a result, the students in Turkey now have the supplies, which will assist them on their journey as they learn and grow.