By Expedia Team, on July 11, 2016

Expedia.com designated Spirit of St. Jude Award for Innovation by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

Expedia honored for dedicated support of St. Jude, its lifesaving mission

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 11, 2016 – ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, has awarded Expedia.com the “Spirit of St. Jude Award for Innovation” honor during its annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards Dinner held at the Domino’s Event Center on the campus of St. Jude. Every year the ALSAC/St. Jude Boards of Directors and Governors honors outstanding volunteers, donors, organizations and corporate partners from across the country for their support and commitment to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude. Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, presented the 2016 awards.

This year, Expedia received the award for its unwavering commitment and support of the hospital’s mission. In partnership with St. Jude, Expedia launched the “Dream Adventures” initiative, featuring four patients. Each child was asked to share their passions and dream travel adventure, which ranged from playing with monkeys and running with horses to digging for dinosaurs and swimming in the sea. In response, Expedia dispatched a team of employees, each armed with a 360° camera and live-streaming technology, to Argentina, Miami and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to bring the adventures to life.

The teams captured the experiences in real time, and live footage was projected onto the floor, walls and ceiling of a four-wall virtual reality installation at the hospital. Through this innovation, Expedia was able to bring a truly immersive travel experience to the kids of St. Jude. Each child was able to explore, direct the actions of the on-site trekker and immerse themselves in the experience.

Expedia is also leveraging the campaign to encourage its customers to donate their Expedia+ points directly to the hospital. The Expedia+ rewards program confers points to travelers based on each flight, hotel, car or activity they book across Expedia channels. Typically, Expedia+ points can be redeemed for travel. Now, Expedia+ points can be converted to a monetary value.

“The St. Jude Children’s Research hospital is a miracle. It is a hugely vital institution that relies on the support of outside companies and individuals to continue to thrive,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer, Expedia, Inc. “Expedia is proud to stand alongside the global community in supporting St. Jude.”

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Because the majority of St. Jude funding comes from individual contributions, St. Jude has the freedom to focus on what matters most – saving kids regardless of their financial situation.

Expedia, Inc. remains committed to supporting St. Jude. To view videos from the “Dream Adventures” campaign, and to donate directly, please head here.

About Expedia.com
Expedia.com® is one of the world’s largest full service travel sites, helping millions of travelers per month easily plan and book travel. Expedia.com (https://www.expedia.com/) aims to provide the latest technology and the widest selection of top vacation destinations, cheap tickets, hotel deals, car rentals, destination weddings, cruise deals and in-destination activities, attractions, services and travel apps. With the Expedia® Best Price Guarantee, Expedia.com customers can get the best rates available online for all types of travel.

Expedia, Expedia.com, Expedia Rewards, Find Yours, Vacation Deprivation and the Airplane logo are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners © 2016 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. CST # 2029030-50.

SOURCE: Expedia.com
Web site: https://www.expedia.com/

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and we won’t stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook (facebook.com/stjude) and following us on Twitter (@stjude).

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MEDIA CONTACT

Dave McNamee

Expedia, Inc.

(917) 332-5039

dmcnamee@expedia.com