by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
The Hyatt Regency in New Orleans was practically destroyed by Hurricane Katrina a couple of weeks ago and the Hyatt Regency is doing its part to help their fellow employees not just recover, but get back on their feet.
The hotel is hosting a lunch Friday with a distinctive Cajun flair in which hotel employees and vendors will be able to eat for a donation of at least $3, with the proceeds going to help raise money for the Hyatt New Orleans employees who lost their homes and livelihoods thanks to Hurricane Katrina.
“We have been trying to think of creative ways as a company to assist those who were affected,” said Hyatt General Manager Phil Tufano.
The Mardi Gras-themed lunch is from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a little karaoke thrown in for good measure. Tufano said that for a $5 donation, attendees can assign a song for someone to sing.
“An employee can pay for a manager to sing a song,” said Tufano. “If the manager doesn’t want to sing, they have to match the donation. It can go back and forth like that with the donation getting bigger.”
The Hyatt Regency has also “adopted” three Hyatt New Orleans employees on a personal level. The concept is part of a company-wide plan in which each of the country’s 130 Hyatts adopted three of New Orleans’ 450 employees. Tufano said his hotel is raising money for clothes and other immediate necessities.
“We are trying to meet their needs the best we can and as quickly as we can,” explained Tufano, adding two of the three are in Houston and one is with family in Rhode Island. “Two of them have expressed interest in remaining with Hyatt and we are working with everyone that wants to stay with the company. We are paying everyone through the end of September with full benefits. One of them said they never want to live in any state that gets hurricanes again.”
The Hyatt Regency is looking to raise at least $5,000 through the lunch. That money will go directly to the victims and their families.