Four Seasons remembers Canadian runner with cancer fundraiser

Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts is showing that its Canadian roots extend worldwide with a charity initiative celebrating one man’s fight to end cancer.

The chain’s Hotel Hampshire, located outside London, is hosting its eighth Terry Fox Run of Hope, commemorating the 35th anniversary of Mr. Fox’s 3,000-mile run across Canada to raise money for cancer research while he was struggling with the disease himself. While hotel chains may be global, honoring their local heritage can help to differentiate their individual brand.

Local pride
Held on Sept. 13, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire’s event will include a 3 mile course around Dogmersfield Estate. Put on in association with sister properties Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane and Four Seasons Hotel London at Canary Wharf, the afternoon will include live music, food and activities.

Appealing to the youngest guests, the event will have an area where they can have their face painted or take part in archery, pony rides and zorbing, or rolling downhill in an orb.

All ages can test their athleticism on a rope course or sample a barbecue and hog roast put on by the property’s culinary staff.

Terry Fox Run in 2014

The proceeds from the day will go to the Terry Fox Foundation and the Brain Tumor Charity based in Hampshire.

Four Seasons has supported the Terry Fox Foundation since the athlete’s passing in 1981, remembering his enduring spirit that helped him run 143 days on a prosthetic limb to raise money for cancer research.

This sense of local pride is evident in a number of other hotel brands, who celebrate their history through initiatives that involve consumers.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is celebrating its 140-year history of catering to prominent world figures with a permanent exhibition filled with a collection of memorabilia and photographs.

The “Oriental Journey” exhibition aims to entice anyone with an interest in Thai history or the behind-the-scenes efforts of luxury hospitality. Continually combing brand history for compelling narratives will help establish a property as a rare and worthwhile place to visit (see story).