W's Jackson tribute to benefit 'Road to Awareness' campaign

As a tribute to Michael Jackson, there will be a special "King of Pop" evening held at the Crystal Lounge on Wednesday 8th July. Qatar's jet set will be able to enjoy an evening of Jackson's hits under the elegant Baccarat chandeliers.

Part of the profit from the evening will be donated to the "Road to Awareness" campaign - a project under the auspices of UNICEF which for 2009 aims at helping the street children of greater Cairo. The charity provides social, medical and psychological support to 2,000 of these children and protects them from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Director of Beverages and Food, Antoine Pravin explains that W Doha, and its parent company - Starwood Hotels - has a policy of supporting such initiatives. "Street children are one of the most vulnerable groups in society because they are at high risk of violence, sexual abuse, substance abuse and health problems. This project addresses their needs in a practical way to re-integrate them into society. It was estimated that back in 2001, there were between 600,000 and one million street children, with an average age of 13, living in the urban areas of Egypt."

"Last year, 12 Starwood representatives initiated a Road to Awareness bike ride by cycling 450km, including one of the most notorious mountain climbs in the Tour de France - Mont Ventoux," he continued. "Their efforts succeeded in raising nearly EUR250,000 (QR1.3m) for a child-to-child radio project in Mozambique, and the bike ride continues in 2009 to support street children in Cairo."

"Starwood has a strong presence in Egypt, which is why we are concentrating our efforts on this occasion for this particular charity. The W Hotel is all about delivering a Wow! experience for our guests. It was founded on the belief that there are customers who seek a more meaningful balance between style and substance; so if we can help those less fortunate while both enjoying ourselves and paying tribute to the memory of the King of Pop, then it is a win-win situation for all concerned," Pravin concluded.

The Crystal Lounge is on the mezzanine floor of the W Doha Hotel and the tribute to the King of Pop kicks off at 9 pm.