–NCL Awards 100 Educators Across the U.S. and Canada with a Free Cruise Aboard Norwegian
Prima and Donates Nearly $170,000 to
Schools and Teachers Around the Country–
–GRAMMY Award-Winning Artist Kelly Clarkson Performs Onboard
as Part of Norwegian's Giving Joy® Award
Ceremony–
GALVESTON, Texas, Oct. 28,
2022 /CNW/ -- Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL),
the innovator in global cruise travel, commemorated the debut of
its all-new Norwegian Prima, and the brand's first-ever voyage from
Galveston, Texas, with an
exclusive concert by GRAMMY Award-winning artist Kelly Clarkson.
The ship also served as the special venue for this year's
Norwegian's Giving Joy awards ceremony, during which the Cruise
Line and Clarkson recognized 100 teachers with a free
cruise, and nearly $170,000 for
the top three Grand Prize winners and their schools.
Norwegian's Giving Joy program recognizes deserving educators
for their unwavering commitment to bringing joy to the classroom.
To celebrate these incredible individuals, and their often-times
undervalued profession, as well as to kick-off Norwegian
Prima's first voyage from Texas,
Norwegian Cruise Line hosted a showstopping award celebration.
Special guests included NCL President and CEO Harry Sommer; Norwegian Bliss Godfather Elvis
Duran, American radio personality and host of "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show;" and superstar
and godmother to Norwegian Encore, Kelly
Clarkson, who delivered a stellar performance of her
chart-topping hits including "Miss Independent," "Stronger," and
"Since You've Been Gone."
"It was such an honor to celebrate the 100 deserving winners of
Norwegian's Giving Joy program at Norwegian Prima's inaugural
sailing, which embarked from my home state of Texas!" said Clarkson. "Teachers are our true
everyday unsung heroes, and they play an integral role in our
society, not only shaping the future of their students, but the
future of their communities as well. I couldn't miss the
opportunity to participate in this program and give a special
performance before they set sail on the trip of a lifetime!"
To conclude the Norwegian's Giving Joy Award Ceremony, Sommer,
unveiled the top three Grand Prize winners who received the most
votes, awarding them with donations for their schools.
The Grand Prize winners are:
- Patricia Hosmer from Bayonne
High School in Bayonne, N.J.
($25,000)
- Theresa Schrager from Falcon
Cove Middle School, Fla. ($15,000)
- Anthony Stirpe from New Rochelle
High School in New Rochelle, N.Y.
($10,000)
In addition to the expected donations to their schools,
each of the Grand Prize winners received a big surprise – nearly
$40,000 each in prize money thanks to
Norwegian Cruise Line partners, who were moved by the ethos of
Norwegian's Giving Joy annual teacher recognition program and
inspired to participate. To see the complete list of participating
sponsors, click here.
"Norwegian Prima's debut in Galveston was extra special," said
Harry Sommer, president and CEO of
Norwegian Cruise Line. "We really did it big…and what better place
to do it big than in Texas. We
introduced our new, magnificent ship to a market new to NCL, we
welcomed 100 unbelievably deserving teachers to experience her,
awarded the Grand Prize winners with nearly $40,000 in surprise prize money in addition to a
donation for their school – and we put on an unforgettable
celebration with two of our NCL godparents, Elvis Duran and Kelly
Clarkson."
The annual program is designed to highlight the connection
between travel and education and to recognize teachers for their
unwavering dedication to inspiring students every day. To date the
program has awarded 230 teachers across the U.S. and Canada with free cruises and donated over
$350,000 to schools and educators
since 2019. To learn more about this year's 100 winners and their
heart-warming stories, and to support those in your communities,
click here.
For more information about the Company's award-winning 18-ship
fleet and worldwide itineraries, or to book a cruise, please
contact a travel professional, call 888-NCL-CRUISE (625-2784) or
visit www.ncl.com.
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SOURCE Norwegian Cruise Line