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Hyatt Deerfield Hotel donations benefit animals, homeless
Jackie Borchew (left) of Orphans of the Storm animal shelter and Hyatt Deerfield Hotel sales manager Dawn Brandau (right) play with cats on a donated duvet from the hotel on Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at the shelter in Riverwoods. The hotel donated duvets to
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Updated: March 8, 2013 8:34AM
DEERFIELD — Countless Orphans of the Storm cats and dogs are curled up in luxurious bedding because of the thoughtfulness of the Hyatt Deerfield Hotel.
The hotel has donated 50 lightly used duvets stuffed with feather quilts to the Riverwoods pet shelter.
“There are 301 rooms here and all of the duvets in all the guest rooms are being changed. They are only two years old and there is nothing wrong with them,” said Dawn Brandau, the hotel’s sales manager.
“Hyatt sent through a brand standard and because we are a Hyatt Hotel and carry that flag, we have to be compliant with all of its standards – even it’s just changing the type of linen on the beds.”
Brandau said she walked past the pile of the reversible red and green bedding every morning for weeks until she asked the manager if it could be donated.
Now the hotel is giving the duvets away 50 at a time to deserving charities such as Teen Moms in Lake County and Orphans of the Storm.
In the past, the hotel also has donated opened bottles of shampoos, conditioners and soap to Bin Donated, a nonprofit that picks them up and delivers them to local charities.
The hotel also gave the Chicagoland Jewish High School in Deerfield cases of shampoos, soaps and conditioners when students were working on a project for the homeless.
It also donates free overnight stays to the Special Olympics of Lake County to raffle at annual fund raisers.
And non-profits like the Orphans rely on volunteers and donations for what they can’t afford, said Jackie Borchew, Orphans’ director of community relations.
“It’s so wonderful that the Deerfield Hyatt, a hotel located in our own community, would think about us as they replace their bedding,” Borchew said.
“With the shelter having a capacity for 200 dogs, on these cold nights these duvets will really come in handy. And they will benefit the kitties, too.”
Borchew also noted that the shelter has a donation drop off box outside of its front parking lot gate for somewhat smaller gifts.
Kristie Williams, general manager of Homewood Suites, 10 Westminster Way, Lincolnshire, said the Homewood also donates its old bedding.
“We donated duvets and pillows to Orphans of the Storm, Tails of Hope in Highland Park and Paws downtown to spread the love around,” she said.
“When we took some things to Orphans of the Storm, we spent the whole afternoon playing with the animals and had cats on our shoulders.”
Rik Blyth, general manager of Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel, 933 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, noted that the hotel has backed fundraising efforts for Give Kids the World, and food packaging for the Northfield Township Food Pantry.
“We’ve just purchased new bedding with thicker pillow top mattresses and now the duvets that covered the beds are too small,” Blyth said.
“We have 240 duvet covers to give away to a deserving non-profit. Any ideas?”
