International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) held its annual Fill-A-Backpack Drive during the month of July to raise funds and donate school supplies to its local nonprofit community partner, A New Leaf. The internal ICE Charity Committee raised more than $11,000 from employees at the ICE Headquarters in Scottsdale, helping to fill more than 800 backpacks with binders, notebooks, calculators, pencils, markers, glue, rulers, and many other school supplies. This drive marks ICE’s largest donation ever to A New Leaf.
“Being able to make a difference in the lives of the children and families who use A New Leaf’s services and programs is so meaningful to all of us at ICE,” said Marcia Rowley, COO at ICE. “We are grateful to our generous employees for donating their time and resources to make these drives successful every year, and to our partners at A New Leaf, who make such a significant impact in the community.”
For more than 45 years, A New Leaf has helped local Phoenix families through homeless and domestic violence shelters and services, youth residential programs, foster care programs, behavioral health services, and affordable housing communities. In 2018 alone, they served more than 32,000 residents across the Valley.
In 2016, ICE learned that many of the children utilizing A New Leaf’s services had to use duct tape to seal holes in their shoes. Thereafter, in addition to donating backpacks and school supplies, ICE also started donating retail store gift cards so families could purchase new shoes. For this year’s drive, ICE donated $2,000 in gift cards for new shoes, as well as an additional $3,000 to further support A New Leaf’s charitable initiatives. Executives and children from A New Leaf visited the ICE Headquarters on Friday, Aug. 2 to pick up the donated items and meet some of the employees who contributed to the drive.
“Each year, approximately 85% of the school supplies we receive and distribute to students in need come from ICE,” said Joe Dulin, Certified Fund Raising Executive and Chief Philanthropy Officer at A New Leaf. “ICE goes above and beyond to help provide the supplies and services that our kids and families throughout the community need.”
Earlier this year through another internal fundraising drive, ICE donated $7,000 and necessities such as toiletries and food to A New Leaf. ICE has partnered with A New Leaf since 2007.
To learn more about A New Leaf, visit www.turnanewleaf.org. To learn more about ICE, visit www.iceenterprise.com.
About International Cruise & Excursions, Inc.
International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) is an international leisure travel and lifestyle benefits organization with a global network of premier corporate, leisure, and affinity-based alliance partners. We are a market leader and global provider of loyalty, reward, and incentive programs that enhance brand loyalty, satisfaction and engagement, enabling consumers to receive extraordinary value on leisure travel and lifestyle benefits. ICE leverages innovative technology solutions, through unique marketing strategies, coupled with the innate power and appeal of vacations to provide travel-based benefit programs to millions of consumers. Our scalable travel and loyalty solutions are used by many of the world’s most respected global brands. Unmatched in delivering high value travel and leisure products and services, ICE creates and manages customized B2B2C and B2C vacation and leisure-centric programs in 20+ languages and 40+ currencies from 15 global offices in the US, Mexico, UK, Portugal, India, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, and Belize. Learn more about ICE at www.iceenterprise.com.
About A New Leaf
Founded in 1971, A New Leaf provides a broad spectrum of support services to help individuals and families in crisis. Vulnerable families receive shelter, basic needs and hands-on support for a new start – transforming their lives to become independent and thriving members of the community. Their successes include employment, healthier lifestyles, high school diplomas / GEDs, college degrees, life skills and self-sufficiency. Throughout its existence, A New Leaf has remained committed to the mission of Helping Families…Changing Lives, relying on generous donors and volunteers to leverage resources and increase impact. With a strong board and long-time dedicated leadership, A New Leaf serves as a vital community resource. Visit www.turnanewleaf.org for more information.