PHOTO: Montage Kapalua Bay pool at night. (courtesy Montage Kapalua Bay)
Elite Travel International is helping the fight against breast cancer with the Play for P.I.N.K. Kapalua charity tennis and golf tournament on the island of Maui, Hawaii.
Set for the weekend of Oct. 9-12, the tournament will benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) with 20 percent of every room night booked via Elite Travel International at a hotel sponsor, including Montage Kapalua Bay, going toward the prevention and cure of breast cancer. Participants will be rewarded with an exciting line up of tennis, golf, as well as wellness and dining experiences amidst the beauty of Maui and the Pacific Coast.
A unique luxury agency specializing in custom arrangements and the VIP treatment for high-end corporate and vacation travelers, Elite Travel International has created partnerships with top area restaurants and hotels. Corporate sponsors are on board to help the cause as well, such as Delta Air Lines, who will offer special fares to and from Maui for participants.
A Star-Studded Event
Play for P.I.N.K. Kapalua derives from the agency's relationship with Play for P.I.N.K. (the acronym stands for Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge), a grassroots organization dedicated to raising funds for BCRF through sports tournaments held across the country.
Participants can look forward to a full schedule of tournament events including a kickoff cocktail party on Friday evening; a culinary tour of Kapalua on Saturday; and a Hawaiian-style soiree at Montage Kapalua Bay on Sunday. Opened in summer 2014, the oceanfront, 24-acre, residential-style resort celebrates the aloha spirit of Hawaiian culture from architecture and local visual art, to inspired culinary and experiential offerings. Montage Kapalua Bay will create a special Spa Montage Kapalua Bay menu for the weekend, perfect for pre- or post-tournament relaxation.
Celebrities bringing their star power to Play for P.I.N.K. Kapalua include celebrated author, entrepreneur and social media influencer Madison Hildebrand, the original cast member on Bravo's "Million Dollar Listing"; Ben Flajnik, once of ABC's "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," now a Sonoma winemaker and founder of The Gentleman app; Stefanie Michaels, a.k.a. @AdventureGirl, the creator of AdventureGirl.com and touted by Vanity Fair as "America's Tweetheart;" and Isabelle Furhman, a talented, young actress who has gained critical acclaim, appearing in blockbuster films including "The Hunger Games" and "Orphan."
A Passion for Travel and the Fight Against Breast Cancer
Elite Travel International is the official travel agency for Play for P.I.N.K. Kapalua and all bookings will go through the agency in order to assure benefit to the charitable cause. The agency's involvement is fired by the personal passion of founder Stacy Small, who recently lost her mother following an 18-year battle with the disease.
"I actually thought my mom was invincible and would beat the odds," recalls Small, who created Elite Travel International in 2005 and chairs the tournament. "She did, for many years. But eventually there were no longer new drugs coming on line fast enough to stave off the growth of her metastasized stage IV breast cancer. This is what we desperately need to change, and why I dreamt up Play for P.I.N.K. Kapalua to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation."
As the sole beneficiary of Play for P.I.N.K, BCRF has received more $38.5 million from the organization's fundraising sporting events since 1996 - including $4.5 million in 2014 alone. BCRF was founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993 to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis. BCRF-funded investigators have been deeply involved with every major breakthrough in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. It is one of the nation's most fiscally responsible nonprofits, and the only breast cancer organization with an "A+" rating from CharityWatch.
There is certainly need for more funding: Globally, breast cancer represents one in four of all cancers in women, and since 2008 the incidence of breast cancer worldwide has increased by 20 percent and mortality by 14 percent. Participants in Play for P.I.N.K. Kapalua can further their own contribution to the fight against breast cancer by participating in the tournament as a "Shades of P.I.N.K." sponsor and by donating any amount to support the efforts of Play for P.I.N.K. and BCRF. There will also be an online auction to raise further funding through the tournament.
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