ICE Receives National Honor for Community Service

"Hearts & Hands" Is 2007 ARDA Circle of Excellence Inductee

PHOENIX (March 29, 2007) – At a gala awards dinner held March 28, "Hearts & Hands," a volunteerism initiative for the employees of International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE), was named a 2007 inductee into the Circle of Excellence of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA). The dinner came on the final night of ARDA's annual convention and exposition, this year held in Orlando, Fla.

John and Marcia Rowley, co-founders of ICE, accepted the award on behalf of the organization. The ARDA Circle of Excellence (ACE) honors ARDA members for attaining the highest level of excellence in their fields.

ACE recipients are inducted for life. While inductees cannot receive a second ACE in the same category, they can be honored in different categories. This year's honor is the third ACE award for ICE. In 2000, the organization received the first ACE Innovator Award ever presented, and in 2003, they received the ACE Philanthropic Award.

The Hearts & Hands initiative for which ICE was honored promotes and supports focused employee involvement in international and community volunteer projects, as well as encouraging employee volunteer efforts outside the workplace. In 2006, independent teams of ICE employees worked for the benefit of Habitat for Humanity, United Blood Services, the American Cancer Society, the Salvation Army, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Make-A-Wish and St. Mary's/Westside Food Bank among other organizations.

On a corporate level, ICE employees participated in fundraising events for the benefit of Christel House International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children worldwide break the cycle of poverty; Phoenix Animal Care Coalition (PACC) 911, a cooperative, interactive coalition of animal welfare organizations throughout the Phoenix area; and PREHAB of Arizona, a non-for-profit agency that works to provide proactive prevention and rehabilitation for community enrichment

International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE) is a worldwide travel and leisure organization that creates, supports and services a global network of innovative travel alliances among top corporations, resorts, cruise lines, vacation suppliers and travel providers. Specializing in value-added cruise programs, Internet marketing solutions and unique technology solutions, ICE is affiliated with more than 650 luxury resort properties and provides cruise and vacation fulfillment services to more than 150 major brands, servicing over 55 million consumers. Headquartered in Phoenix, ICE has employees worldwide.