Shawnee Inn

• Tandem Skydiving Package — Guests experience the thrill of freefall from 13,500 feet, with views of the Pocono Mountains, Delaware Water Gap and New York City skyline. Takeoff in nearby Stroudsburg.
• Stock Car Driver Package — Just like a NASCAR practice day, guests drive a Sprint Cup style race car at the famed Pocono Raceway, experiencing the speed and cornering for a full 20 minutes.
• Stock Car Rider Package — Hop in the specially designed passenger seat of a Sprint Cup style race car for three laps around Pocono Raceway’s 2.5-mile super speedway, with an expert driver behind the wheel.
• Glider Pilot Package — Each guest is accompanied by an FAA-certified pilot, who can hand over the controls of the sailplane during the 20- to 25-minute ride. Catch views of the Kittatinny Mountain Ridge and (on a clear day) New York City and Philadelphia.
• Helicopter Ride Package — With liftoffs and landings at the front lawn of Shawnee Inn, guests tour the Delaware Water Gap region with an FAA-certified pilot at the helm. The 30-minute ride features overviews of the Kittatinny Mountain Ridge, the Appalachian Trail, Lakota Wolf Preserve, Bushkill Falls and more.
• Airplane Ride Package — Enjoy dramatic views of the Appalachian Trail, the Lakota Wolf Preserve and Bushkill Falls during the 30-minute tour with an FAA-certified pilot at the helm. On a clear day, New York City and Philadelphia are visible in the distance. Guests fly in and out of nearby Stroudsburg-Pocono Airport.

Each package includes overnight accommodations at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, as well as breakfast buffet at the River Room. Rates vary depending on the package. Package availability is based on weather conditions.  For more details and reservations, please call (800) 742-9633, (570) 424-4000, or visit www.ShawneeInn.com

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is conveniently located 70 miles from New York City, 100 miles from Philadelphia, 150 miles from Albany, N.Y. and 200 miles from Washington, D.C. Three airports – Lehigh Valley International, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Newark International – all are within easy distance of the property.

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Monday, July 27, 2009 (Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania) – Acclaimed naturalist, John Serrao, will be hosting Guided Nature Walks at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort every Sunday, through the summer, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.

John Serrao is one of the names to know when it comes to the outdoors in the Pocono Mountains.  Not only is John a naturalist, but also the author of six nature books, Reptiles and Amphibians of the Poconos and The Natural Pocono Mountains to name just a couple.  There is no doubt that this is an in-depth tour back to nature. Bring your camera to snap some great shots during your walk of nature finds and with Serrao himself.

“Shawnee’s surroundings are some of the most beautiful in the area. We have such a unique setting, being located on the edge of the wild and scenic Delaware River, offering these blessings to our guests and the public is almost a civic duty,” said Rob Howell, General Manager of The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.

Shawnee recently published a The Shawnee Nature Trail, a self-guided interpretive booklet, in partnership with John Serrao which outlines all of the trees on the property.

“Through the process of making Shawnee’s Tree Walk Booklet, it was uncovered that Shawnee is the home of some very unique trees including, perhaps, the largest Ginkgo Biloba Tree in the state,” said Howell.

A $10.00 registration fee applies to guests of Wyndham Village and the general public. There is no admittance fee for Shawnee Inn and the Legacy Collection guests. To register, please call 1-800-SHAWNEE.

Media Contact

For more information or to schedule an interview with John Serrao, please call Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: 570-424-4050 x1409 or e-mail: pr@shawneeinn.com.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 (Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania) — The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is sponsoring the Tri-State Troopers Fund 2nd Annual 5K Run/Walk scheduled for Sunday, June 14th, 2009.

“The Tri-State Troopers’ 5K Run/Walk is a wonderful program that benefits so many in our community. Shawnee dedicated 2009 as our Year of Wellness. This event meshes perfectly with our goals,” says Rob Howell, General Manager of The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort. Shawnee is donating items that include golf rounds, spa services, and restaurant certificates to raffle at the end of the race. “This partnership should help recruit runners in addition to help raise funds for the Tri-State Troopers Fund and Monroe County Youth Center”, stated Angela Tullo.

This 5K is a fun event for families and individual runners. There will be categories for both men and women in all age groups, nine children’s categories, and overall winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. In addition, there will be a Law Enforcement category for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners for both men and women.

New this year is The Battle of the Badges competition. In this category, law enforcement teams with the best time, have an opportunity for some friendly competition and a chance to bring the trophy back to their agency.

Registration for this race is set to begin at 7:00 AM, at Dunkin Donuts on Main Street, Stroudsburg, PA. The race, which will run through historic downtown Stroudsburg, is scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM.

To pre-register for this event, please contact Angela Tullo at: (570) 213-2882 or e-mail: TriStateTPRS@verizon.net. The registration fee is $25.00, and includes a complimentary event t-shirts for the first 150 runners who sign up. Registration is still open and runners of all skill levels are strongly encouraged to attend.

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is excited to sponsor the Tri-State Trooper’s 2nd Annual 5K Run/Walk.

For more information or to schedule and interview with Shawnee’s management; please contact Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: (570) 424-4050 ext. 1409 or visit ShawneeInn.com.

Thursday, June 4, 2009 (Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania) — The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort has taken its smoke-free policy one step further by introducing a new “fresh air” initiative.

In 2006, The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort was the first lodging facility in the Pocono Mountains to designate all guest rooms and indoor public areas as smoke-free. Starting June 1st, Shawnee made the commitment to ensure all employee areas are smoke-free.

The fresh air initiative is the most recent arm of Shawnee’s Year of Wellness. To ease employees into the transition, Shawnee, in partnership with the Carbon, Monroe, Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission, sponsored smoking cessation classes for employees who wanted help in alleviating their addiction to tobacco. The classes were offered on a weekly basis with a gradual step-down program that lasted eight weeks.

“The health of our employees is just as important as the livelihood of our resort. They are the key to the operation of Shawnee so we must be as supportive as possible to help them lead a positive lifestyle”, Rob Howell, General Manager of The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.

Guests of Shawnee are still able to smoke in specially designated outdoor areas.

In addition to Shawnee’s “fresh air” initiative, the resort has been offering free employee exercise classes twice weekly along with discounted gym memberships to Elevations Health Club. One of their most recent wellness achievements occurred on May 17th, when Shawnee sponsored a team of 17 employees to participate in the Pocono Run for the Red Marathon.

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is proud of its employees and looks forward to further supporting its Year of Wellness.

For more information or to schedule and interview with Shawnee’s management; please contact Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: (570) 424-4050 ext. 1409 or visit ShawneeInn.com.

To coincide with “Shawnee’s Year of Wellness” a team of 16 employees are signed up for the Run for the Red races. This race was recently featured in Runners World Magazine, as the 9th race in the country, to have the highest number of participants to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Though the “Shawnee Team” is not trying to qualify for any particular marathon — their goal is to have fun and to finish. They are looking forward to help raise money for the American Red Cross of Monroe County Pennsylvania.

Here is who is sponsoring them:

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is sponsoring all of the employees’ registration fees. The Crossings Premium Outlets arranged the donation of the teams running tops. Special thanks to Doug Smith, Manager of The Crossings. The Riddell factory will be donating the screen printing. Special thanks to Dominic Violi. The marathon runners have been following an 18-week “novice” guide that they found online suggested by elite runner Hal Higdon. Hal ran eight times in the Olympic Trials and won four world masters championships. The marathoners have also partnered up with the Aardvark running store in Stroudsburg and their running team which is composed of more local runners that are also in training for the Run for the Red.

The Shawnee Team is comprised of the following members:

5K

• Bailey Baldwin, Recreation Staff
• Jennifer Borden, Lifeguard
• Jonathon Duffy, Recreation Staff
• Russ Gladd, Facilities Director
• Emmanuel Green, River Room Staff
• Rob Howell, General Manager
• Pete Kirkwood, Environmental Attorney
• Liz Kirkwood, Environmental Attorney
• Nicole Norris, Recreation Staff
• Nancy Spencer, Accounts Receivable

Half Marathon

• Molly Burnside, Corporate Sales Manager
• Rachelle Heil, Golf Sales Manager
• Carolyn Kisling, Reservations Staff
• Jason Startari, Business Development

Full Marathon

• Jennifer Fuller, Human Resources Director
• Monica Startari, Marketing Director
• Igor Voloshin, Spa Therapist

Keep an eye on Emmanuel Green who is an East Stroudsburg High School South student who will be attending East Stroudsburg University in the fall. Emmanuel will be running for ESU’s track team and has run a 5K in the past in just over 18 minutes.

Shawnee’s “Year of Wellness” was initiated January 1, 2009 and encourages employees to actively lead healthy lifestyles. Some of the programs that were initiated through the Year of Wellness include: employee exercise classes, discounted memberships to elevations health club, smoking cessation program, and monthly seminars.

The Shawnee Team is planning to take some photos in full running gear at The Crossings Premium Outlets, and at The Shawnee Inn the week prior to the race. May 17th, race day, is just around the corner and the team is looking forward to this special day.

For more information or to schedule and interview with Shawnee’s management; please contact Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: (570) 424-4050 ext. 1409 or visit ShawneeInn.com.

Emma’s Friends Products Support People With Disabilities

SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE, Pennsylvania (April 22, 2009) — The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort has placed the Emma’s Friends line of handcrafted soaps, lotions and shampoos in its guest rooms, suites and on-site shop, the first resort anywhere to offer these special products.

Emma’s Friends, founded and located in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania (about 40 miles from the resort) was inspired by a mother’s love for her daughter with multiple disabilities. The line includes handcrafted soaps, lotions, sugar scrubs, sea salts, bath soaks, lip balms, and liquid soaps. All soaps are handmade from oils, butters and other natural ingredients, with bar soaps containing a minimum of 45% olive oil. Lotions are made from shea and cocoa butters, goat’s milk, aloe vera and other light, skin-loving oils.

The company seeks to employ individuals with disabilities creatively, offering them an opportunity to enjoy their work and share it with others.

“Through the purchase of Emma’s Friends products, our customers are given an opportunity to appreciate our Friends’ abilities and recognize the joy they offer their families and communities,” said Lynn Elko, company founder. “To meet Shawnee’s needs we’ve acquired a filling machine and labeler to expedite bottling. There has been a great deal of excitement amongst our Friends over their new jobs.”

Products are created in small batches to ensure high quality. “Each batch of soap, being handcrafted, may look a little different although the ingredients remain the same,” Elko explained. “Call it creative license!”

According to Rob Howell, general manager of The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, each of historic Inn’s 80 rooms, 12 rooms in the Delaware Lodge, six suites and two cottages in the Legacy Collection, Shawnee’s luxury accommodations, will feature handcrafted soaps, shampoo and lotions.

For more information on the product line, contact Lynn Elko at 570/956-9334 or via email at lynn@emmasfriends.com. The web site is http://www.EmmasFriends.com/.

For more information or to schedule and interview with Shawnee’s management; please contact Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: (570) 424-4050 ext. 1409 or visit ShawneeInn.com.

Returns to Ohio Wesleyan University on May 10

SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE, Pa. (April 20, 2009) — Virginia (Ginny) Pearsall Kirkwood (Class of ’64) will deliver the commencement address at Ohio Wesleyan University on May 10, joining an esteemed line-up of past speakers that includes Senator John McCain, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Paul Farmer, a medical anthropologist and professor at Harvard Medical School.

A Cultural Anthropology major, Mrs. Kirkwood was accepted into the Peace Corps during her junior year and upon graduation served for two years in Turkey, where she cared for and raised funds for orphaned children. She then spent time in Thailand; Washington, D.C.; and Singapore before moving with her husband, Charles, to Shawnee on Delaware, Pa., where they have lived for 32 years.

In the Keystone state, Mrs. Kirkwood served as chair the Pennsylvania Special Olympics. Because of her experience in Asia, she later helped to create multiple Special Olympics programs in Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Mrs. Kirkwood maintained her Peace Corps ties and in 1990 became director of the Peace Corps in Thailand. In this role, she introduced an extensive AIDS education program and helped to expand environmental and engineering projects. She served as director until 1993, and remains on the advisory board.

She also is a member of the board of trustees of Boston-based World Education, Inc., which aids educationally disadvantaged children in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, as well as the United States. She serves on the board of the Bangkok-based Kenan Institute Asia, which works to build sustainable competitiveness in Thailand and the Greater Mekong Sub-region. Additionally, she and her husband operate Shawnee Academy and The Beacon School in Pennsylvania. Both schools work with troubled youths no longer able to attend their home school districts.

The recipient of an Ohio Wesleyan distinguished achievement citation in 2004, Mrs. Kirkwood’s commencement address is entitled, “The Challenge of Graduating in 2009,” and will focus on the importance of public service and volunteerism in these challenging times.

Mrs. Kirkwood is co-owner of The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort and is the mother of five grown children and 14 grandchildren. Active in the arts, Mrs. Kirkwood has served as a producer for the Shawnee Playhouse; director for the Mountain Laurel Center for the Arts in Bushkill, Pa.; and was a guitar teacher for the blind during her time in Thailand.

Ohio Wesleyan University is an undergraduate liberal arts college that transforms the lives of its students through a combination of rigorous academics, mentoring relationships, and real-world experiences. Featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” the private university’s 1,850 students come from 47 states and 50 countries. Visit www.owu.edu for more information. The commencement address and ceremony will be streamed live at stream.owu.edu.

For more information or to schedule and interview with Shawnee’s management; please contact Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: (570) 424-4050 ext. 1409 or visit ShawneeInn.com.

SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE, Pennsylvania (April 7, 2009) — Determined to be the “Ready Golf Capital of the World,” The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is implementing a program that will reinforce how “Ready Golf” can enhance every round guests play at the historic, 27-hole retreat along the scenic Delaware Water Gap.

While maintaining its philosophy that guests should be able to enjoy the golf course at a relaxing pace, each golfer will be provided with a list of alternatives that can help groups complete 18 holes in Shawnee’s designated target time of 4 hours, 30 minutes. Brief course management presentations will be offered three times each day, based on staff availability.

“The Ready Golf Program at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is designed to improve the speed of play, which we believe will translate into an even better experience for everyone,” said Steve Taggart, the Director of Golf at Shawnee. “We want to maintain a steady pace and eliminate preventable waiting periods throughout the golf course.”

Starting April 15, The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort will establish one of the most comprehensive pace-of-play initiatives ever presented by a destination golf resort in the country. The resort hopes to infuse optimum time management within its guests’ individual golf experience. The program has its trained professional staff ready to inspire each golfer to adapt new habits that apply to everything from the most effective spots to park the golf cart, basic etiquette tips and ways to more quickly finish a hole and exit the green.

“We never want our guests to be in a hurry,” Taggart said. “But there are so many little things that most of us never think about that can take several minutes off of each hole we play. That all adds up. Also, there is evidence that points to faster play improving scores, which is always the best benefit at the end of the day, as well.”

Shawnee is the home of the first Tillinghast Poconos golf courses, which debuted in 1911 and serve as the birthplace of one of the most distinguished careers in the history of golf course architecture. The three distinct nines (Red, White and Blue) are laid out with 24 holes on a private island in the Delaware River.

The Tillinghast Golf Academy and the lighted Tillinghast Approach Course (a nine-hole par 3) accent the resort’s amenities for golfers. Access to the Approach Course, a perfect after-dinner activity for golfing families and friends, is complimentary to the resort’s overnight guests.

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort is conveniently located 70 miles from New York City, 100 miles from Philadelphia, 150 miles from Albany, N.Y. and 200 miles from Washington, D.C. Three airports – Lehigh Valley International, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Newark International – all are within easy distance of the property.

For information about Poconos golf stay and play packages at The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, call 800-SHAWNEE (742-9633) or 570-424-4000, or visit www.shawneeinn.com.

For more information or to schedule and interview with Shawnee’s management; please contact Jeromy Wo, Public Relations Coordinator at: (570) 424-4050 ext. 1409 or visit ShawneeInn.com.