ESTO Cares 2024
Through ESTO Cares, the U.S. Travel Association and our members are committed to enriching the communities we engage with. This year in Columbus, we proudly partner with Festa, an organization transforming lives and ending poverty through meaningful relationships. Festa brings hope to children and families by connecting them with vital resources and support.
Join us in giving back to Columbus with a fun and impactful morning of kit assembly. These kits will make a difference at FESTA’s International Travel Day event, where children embark on an exciting journey exploring diverse countries and cultures. Be a part of this inspiring initiative and help us create lasting change!
About Festa:
Festa’s mission is to end poverty through life changing relationships. Through their flagship 3-Generation Family English as a Second Language Programming and Free Summer Lunch Camp, they serve families from 60+ countries of origin as they take steps out of poverty and move from surviving to thriving. Festa walks with families to remove barriers to employment by improving their English Language skills, provide developmental enrichment for children through early literacy and homework help, in addition to providing leadership and entrepreneurial training while rallying a community of support to surround each member of the family. Learn more here.
ABOUT ESTO Cares
ESTO Cares is organized by the National Council of State Tourism Directors Alumni Group. Its purpose is to make a difference in each community by giving back to the host destination of ESTO. A variety of volunteer fundraising activities have been held since 2015, the inception of ESTO Cares. All volunteer opportunities support and generate awareness for a local charitable organization. Ticket proceeds are donated to the charitable organization that ESTO Cares selects each year.
Through the Years
| Year | Location | Activity |
| 2024 | Columbus, OH | Packing and organizing materials for FESTA. |
| 2023 | Savannah, GA | Packing materials for the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. |
| 2022 | Grand Rapids, MI | Packing literacy kits for Heart of West Michigan United Way. |
| 2021 | Los Angeles, CA | Packing hygiene kits for Los Angelinos experiencing homelessness in partnership with LA Works. |
| 2020 | CANCELED | ESTO 2020 was canceled due to COVID-19. |
| 2019 | Austin, TX | Packing food for distribution at the Central Texas Food Bank. |
| 2018 | Phoenix, AZ | Packing food kits to be shipped overseas in partnership with Feed My Starving Children. |
| 2017 | Minneapolis, MN | Clearing crown vetch from the banks of the Mississippi at historic Mill Ruins Park. Event was rained out, but funds were raised for the city parks. |
| 2016 | Boca Raton, FL | Beach litter clean up at Spanish River Park to protect sea turtle hatching habitats in partnership with Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. |
| 2015 | Portland, OR | Clearing construction debris from the banks of the Willamette River. |
