[April 19, 2012]

Melanoma Research Foundation and Inspirato Join Forces for Good Health

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) changes lives with its support of medical research and education for people with melanoma and physicians. Denver-based Inspirato provides life-changing experiences through luxury travel. The two have joined forces to raise urgently needed funds that will support the MRF's goal of helping medical researchers find effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma.

Inspirato's Inspired Giving platform, www.inspiredgiving.com, was designed to help charitable organizations like the MRF raise funds in a new way. Through this partnership, donors who contribute $2,000 to the MRF through Inspired Giving's dedicated website gain select access to Inspirato's club-managed portfolio of vacation residences and unparalleled personal vacation services in locations ranging from California and Colorado to Hawaii and Mexico.

The Inspired Giving donation model benefits the MRF in a number of ways:

• For every $2,000 donated to the MRF through Inspirato's Inspired Giving website, the donor gains one-time access to an Inspirato luxury vacation - priced at up to 50 percent under market, and without having to pay the $15,000 Inspirato membership fee.
• Inspirato contributes one Inspired Giving vacation experience that the MRF can auction to raise funds. Of those contributed monies, 100 percent goes back to the MRF.
• For every new Inspirato membership that is generated from an Inspired Giving donation to the MRF, the company gives $2,000 to the MRF as an Inspirato Inspired Giving partner.

"People fighting melanoma urgently need new treatment options and cannot afford delays," said Timothy J. Turnham, the executive director of the MRF. "The Melanoma Research Foundation is dedicated to funding critically needed research, which is why we are delighted to partner with Inspirato's Inspired Giving program."

Throughout the year, the MRF will offer opportunities for donors to contribute though Inspirato's Inspired Giving program, including numerous VIP celebrity and sporting events such as golf tournaments, IRONMAN® events, charity run/walk events, and the premiere fundraising gala, Wings of Hope for Melanoma, held each year in both New York City and San Francisco. Funds raised will support key programs, including the Patient Symposia, an educational program held in coordination with cancer centers nationwide; the Volunteer Program, which spearheads grassroots activities, community-based outreach and more; Foundations Research Awards, providing grants to help explore treatments and a cure for melanoma; and website enhancement to support the large, online patient community and the clinical trial finder.

Melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States and can strike men and women of all ages, all races and skin types. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25- to 29-years-old and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15- to 29-years-old. The Melanoma Research Foundation is the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States, yet its work is felt on a personal level for patients whose lives are affected by a melanoma diagnosis.

The Melanoma Research Foundation website features numerous patient testimonials like the one from Victoria Hebb, a nursing student in Virginia who spent her summers in the sun and used tanning beds. At age 20, Ms. Hebb was diagnosed with Stage II melanoma. After surgery, she is free of melanoma and she hopes to spread the word that tan is not beautiful. "I want to advocate for melanoma awareness. I want to warn people about it and arm them with the information on how to prevent it. I want to be an advocate for skin health and sun awareness," she said. "I know that through the Melanoma Research Foundation, I can make a difference."

For MRF donors, the donation and vacation booking experience is simple: the donor is given access to Inspirato's Inspired Giving exclusive web portal, www.inspiredgiving.com; selects the MRF as the charitable organization of choice; and makes a tax-deductible donation of $2,000. That donor is then able to book a vacation to a luxury Inspirato destination and enjoy all that Inspirato members enjoy, including: personalized service from an Inspirato vacation advisor, an on-site destination concierge, and luxurious accommodations ranging from intimate, couples-only, one-bedroom retreats to large, well-appointed homes in excess of 3,000 square feet.

"Combining better vacations with a better world is at the heart of what we do at Inspired Giving," said Jackie Benton, the Inspirato program's executive director. "We are thrilled to support the Melanoma Research Foundation with our innovative approach to year-round, sustainable fundraising."

About Melanoma Research Foundation

Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States and can strike men and women of all ages, all races and skin types. With a one in 50 lifetime risk of developing melanoma, nearly 76,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2012, resulting in over 9,000 deaths. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25- to 29-years-old and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15- to 29-years-old. The majority of melanomas occur on the skin; in fact, melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Melanoma can also occur in the eye (ocular, or uveal melanoma), in mucous membranes (mucosal melanoma), or even beneath fingernails or toenails. Learn more at www.melanoma.org.

About Inspirato

Designed specifically for a new generation of luxury consumers, Inspirato offers the best of destination club consistency and service, together with unmatched value, flexibility and low-cost membership. Our members have access to an ever-growing portfolio of luxury homes in the world's top destinations, including California, the Caribbean, Colorado, France, Hawaii, Italy, London, Mexico, New York City and more. By leasing vacation properties (rather than owning), Inspirato is able to keep membership fees low, offer up to 50 percent off market rates, and easily add homes and destinations as demand increases. Our innovative business model has led to rapid growth since our January 2011 launch, placing Inspirato at the forefront of the "luxury for less" movement. For more information about Inspirato, visit www.inspirato.com. Find Inspired Giving on Facebook.

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