The Wilshire Grand Hotel has hosted Verona proms and class reunions, and, recently, something more: The hotel has been housing eight families who lost homes to Hurricane Sandy. The hotel has also been collecting donations for them, like the things mailed in this box.
The effort started when a customer who was supposed to be at an October 29 wedding cancelled his reservation and Wilshire Grand Hotel owner Ed Reagoso waived the cancellation fee.
“When I explained we were not charging for the cancellation because we were delighted to have a room become available for a local family that’s been displaced due to Sandy, the customer requested we keep his room reservation for someone in the area that really needed it”, Reagoso said. “Within the next 48 hours, three other guests and business partners of the hotel offered to do the exact same thing.”
“I remain no less than amazed at the resilience and empathy of our brothers and sisters nationwide to help take care of our own. I will continue to assist our displaced neighbors and friends,” he added. “I won’t whine because I have no power at home yet. I will simply be grateful and feel blessed that I live in such a great country that when the rubber hits the road, we’re not Republican, Independents, or Democrats. We’re Americans and we share the same desire to take care of each other and rebuild at times of crisis such as this.”
