Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S., will host its fifth annual Hospitality Heroes Reception at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit on Jan. 24 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live. The reception will honor Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, who has been integral in uniting hospitality leaders to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding addiction.
The event will raise funds to support Shatterproof’s efforts to change how addiction is treated in America. Nassetta and Hilton have been longtime supporters of Shatterproof and its mission.
In 2021, Hilton and more than 70 hospitality companies joined together to sponsor this event in support of Shatterproof and its founder and CEO, Gary Mendell, a former hotelier who served as the chairman of HEI Hotels & Resorts. The event raised more than $1 million to drive solutions to addiction and this public health crisis in the U.S.
The involvement of Hilton will be critical to creating scalable solutions to help families recover from addiction. Studies have shown the hospitality industry is impacted by substance use disorders at two times the rate of other industries, which makes Shatterproof’s mission particularly relevant to Nassetta.
"I am so pleased to honor Chris this year," Mendell said in a statement. "I could not be more grateful for his commitment to end the devastation caused by the disease of addiction and save more lives. His leadership is making a profound impact toward ending the stigma of addiction and bringing much-needed changes that will lower the high rates of addiction within the hospitality industry. Having Hilton as a leader in this cause will bring change, and we hope it will encourage other companies to join forces with us.”
Mendell founded Shatterproof in 2011 after losing his son to addiction. Since its founding, more than 70 hotel companies and 500 employees have raised more than $3 million for Shatterproof.
“I am honored to be recognized with the Shatterproof Hospitality Hero Award and appreciate the opportunity to help raise awareness and mission-critical funds for Shatterproof,” said Nassetta. “All of us at Hilton are proud to support this important work, especially since our industry is disproportionately impacted by substance use disorders. Major industry events like ALIS are critical moments to further Shatterproof’s mission and have much-needed conversations about this issue.”