[November 20, 2015]

Grupo Vidanta Founder Daniel Chávez Morán Receives Prestigious Leadership Honor From Inter-American Dialogue

Grupo Vidanta, a leading tourism and resort developer in Mexico and Latin America, announces that founder Daniel Chávez Morán received the highly esteemed Distinguished Leadership Award For Civic Engagement in the Americas for 2015 from Inter-American Dialogue. This award honors the effective and ongoing public service of the hemisphere's most influential leaders. Chávez was recognized for his long-standing commitment as a progressive visionary in the philanthropic community and for his dedication to economic and social development in Latin America. Chávez, alongside former Prime Minister of Spain Felipe González, was a distinguished honoree at the "Leadership for the Americas" Awards Gala held in Washington D.C. on November 17, 2015.

Chávez has maintained his commitment to philanthropy as an essential component of the mission of Grupo Vidanta, which is seen in the work of Fundación Vidanta, a non-profit organization founded by Chávez in 2005.

Focused on philanthropy and community, Fundación Vidanta is dedicated to spreading humanitarian and democratic values and supporting initiatives that help fight poverty throughout Latin America. The Fundación also awards financial grants to help further the causes of individuals and civic organizations that have demonstrated outstanding philanthropic efforts to combat poverty and inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean.

On November 18, 2015, The Fundación held its 6^th Annual Fundación Vidanta Awards Ceremony, recognizing and supporting leading organizations for their innovative philanthropic initiatives throughout the region. This year, The Fundación received over 600 submissions from 16 countries. The winners were selected by a panel of judges that evaluated each submission based on innovation, measurable impact, and capacity to be continued over time and replicated.

The awards ceremony was held in the Organization of the American States' Hall of the Americas in Washington D.C. and was attended by Ambassador Néstor Méndez, OAS Assistant General Secretary, former President of Uruguay Julio Maria Sanguinetti, President of the Prize Jury, and Roberto ussell, President of the Fundación Vidanta.

Three institutions received Fundación Vidanta's 2015 Contributions to the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean Award. The awards are as follows:

• First place, with a $75,000 grant, was presented to Asociación Civil Tiflonexos (Argentina). This association created the first digital library for blind Spanish speakers with over 50,000 books available. More than 300 institutions that work with visually impaired people have direct access to this library, affecting the lives of roughly 7,500.
• Second place, with a $50,000 grant, was presented to Asociación Aprendo Contigo (Peru). This organization develops specialized educational and recreational services in various hospitals throughout Peru, safeguarding the right to education for children and young people with medical needs, who may be hospitalized or receiving outpatient treatment. These children will no longer lose schooling when faced with medical issues, as they are now taught directly in the hospital.
• Third place, with a $25,000 grant, was awarded to La Fundación Italo-Colombiana de Monte Tabor (Colombia), for their creation of a floating hospital ship, Hospital San Rafaelle, which provides medical assistance to thousands of people living in areas that are difficult to reach and where there is armed conflict.

For more information about Fundación Vidanta, please visit www.fundacionvidanta.org.

For images, please visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/oasoea/sets/72157660763472270

About Grupo Vidanta

Founded in 1974 by the tourism industry's leading visionary, Daniel Chávez Morán, Grupo Vidanta is the preeminent developer and resort operator in Mexico and Latin America specializing in vacation destinations, luxury hotel brands, golf courses, real estate, tourism infrastructure, and entertainment.

The company owns and operates multiple properties in Mexico's most sought-after beach destinations including Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Puerto Peñasco, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlán. Grupo Vidanta's portfolio is also comprised of six distinct resort hotel brands: Grand Luxxe, The Grand Bliss, The Grand Mayan, The Bliss, Mayan Palace, and Sea Garden. With AAA Five Diamond award-winning hotels to an internationally recognized collection of golf courses throughout Mexico, Grupo Vidanta continues to be a pioneer in the tourism industry. Grupo Vidanta also collaborates with some of the world's top organizations, including Cirque du Soleil, with whom Grupo Vidanta created JOYÀ (a first-of-its kind experience in Riviera Maya); Nicklaus Designs; and Greg Norman Golf Course Design. Grupo Vidanta also developed Mexico's first privately built and owned airport in Puerto Peñsaco.

Frequently named one of the "Best Companies to Work for in Mexico," Grupo Vidanta maintains a strong commitment to its 15,000 employees and surrounding communities, through its environmental and philanthropic efforts, including its long-established non-profit foundations, Fundación Vidanta and Fundación Delia Morán. For more information, visit www.grupovidanta.com.

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