LAS VEGAS, Feb. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa humbly accepts the donation of three heart sculptures from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Las Vegas Chapter.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140207/MN60628)

The Las Vegas resort has hosted 12 life-sized heart sculptures on its property since November, 2013. Each three-dimensional, 5-foot sculpture represents a local artist's interpretation of a child's heart, contrasting the dreams it holds with the challenges that cancer and other diseases pose. A reminder of childhood cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, the sculptures serve as a means to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Hospital.

On display through Jan. 30, 2014, the sculptures will be relocated to a new home within Las Vegas to continue to raise awareness about the hospital and its families. However, St. Jude's has graciously donated three sculptures to the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa, which will permanently display them for guests of all ages to see and reflect upon. 

Donations and proceeds made from the sculptures will go to the hospital, which receives about 7,800 patients each year. Part of what makes St. Jude so unique is the fact that families pay nothing for the treatment and care their child receives. Public donations allow the charity to treat ill patients and research to find cures for life-threatening diseases. Thanks to research conducted by the hospital, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia has increased from 4 percent in 1962, to 94 percent today.

"We are so excited to have these wonderful sculptures exhibited across the grounds and inside our resort," says Michelle Bacigalupi, vice president of marketing. "We want everyone who visits our Las Vegas resort to have an opportunity to see them and realize the great services that St. Jude Children's Hospital provides to children in need at no cost."

No stranger to bringing art and charity together for the betterment of the community, the Las Vegas resort's charitable roots run deep as exemplified by a recent fundraiser benefitting New Vista, an organization dedicated to providing resources for the intellectually disabled. The resort brought in more than 12 local restaurants to cater food and drinks while attendees participated in a silent auction for artwork completed on-site by local artists. All of the proceeds went to New Vista, allowing the company to break ground on a new senior assisted living home and medical clinic with a similar focus. The resort has also hosted the American Cancer Society's Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk every year since 2003.

About JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa

The JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa at 221 N. Rampart Blvd. in Las Vegas, NV, is near Red Rock Canyon, the Las Vegas Strip and Valley of Fire State Park. The hotel boasts 469 rooms and 79 suites on six floors in addition to 33 meeting rooms with 100,000 square feet of flexible event space and on-site independently run Rampart Casino. The Las Vegas resort offers complimentary on-site and valet parking. Spa Aquae offers peace and relaxation, while TPC Las Vegas golf course allows guests to enjoy the natural beauty surrounding the resort. Other amenities on the hotel property include nine restaurants, Starbucks, fitness center, waterfall outdoor pool and whirlpool. For information, visit www.marriott.com/LASJW, call 1-702-869-7777, like the hotel on Facebook, follow it on Twitter and add the hotel to a circle on Google Plus.

About JW MarriottJW Marriott is part of Marriott International's luxury portfolio and consists of beautiful properties in gateway cities and distinctive resort locations around the world. These elegant hotels cater to today's sophisticated, self-assured travelers, offering them the quiet luxury they seek in a warmly authentic, relaxed atmosphere lacking in pretense. JW Marriott properties artfully provide highly crafted, anticipatory experiences that are reflective of their locale so that guests have the time to focus on what is most important to them. Currently, there are 60 JW Marriott hotels in 24 countries. By 2015, the portfolio is expected to encompass 79 properties in 28 countries. Visit us online at jwmarriott.com, Twitter @jwmarriott and facebook.com/JWMarriott

Media Contact: Therese Sam, JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa, 1-702-869-7717, therese.sam@jwmarriottlv.com

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SOURCE JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa

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