Expedia, Inc. Employees Choose Charitable Grant Recipients

Expedia, Inc. Employees Choose Charitable Grant Recipients

Five Local Charities Selected by Expedia Employees Receive Grants as Part of Company Initiative

BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Expedia(R) announced that it is giving grants to five community organizations that were nominated and chosen by its employees as recipients of the company's Community Grant Program. Part of an overall community relations initiative, the grant program is designed to empower employees by letting them decide how Expedia can support the communities in which the company operates.

"In the eight years since Expedia first went online, the organization has grown exponentially, but we've still retained and fostered the community spirit of a small company," said Marj Charlier, Director of Community Relations, Expedia. "Our goal is to give back to the community and support charities that our employees care about."

Employees nominated the organizations by gathering documentation related to the organization's eligibility and submitting a proposal to colleagues. The process is designed to encourage employees to have a voice in which causes the company supports. According to a recent Cone/ Roper Corporate Citizenship Study, 76 percent of those polled cited a company's "commitment to causes" as a key factor in deciding where to work. Expedia's program further encourages employee involvement by requiring the nominating employee to be actively involved with the charity being considered. This fall, 30 Expedia employees nominated 29 different organizations, and 255 employees cast ballots for the winners.

The five local charities selected for the community grants are Habitat for Humanity, Feed Washington, Fred Hutchinson Climb to Fight Breast Cancer, Planned Parenthood of Western Washington, and Second Chance Ranch. Each of the Puget Sound nonprofit organizations receives $5,000 grants.

In addition to the Community Grant Program, Expedia's corporate giving program consists of supplier-requested grants, local event sponsorships, and a travel-related sponsorship that is currently in development.

Expedia's community relations program also supports employee charitable giving and volunteering with numerous projects throughout the year. Recently, Expedia employees joined with employees of other IAC Travel companies and its parent, IAC/InterActiveCorp, to create a hurricane relief fund, which donated more than $22,000, and clothing and bedding to victims in Florida and the Caribbean.

Expedia plans to expand its community relations programs to other IAC Travel corporate locations in Dallas, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and San Jose next year.

About Expedia, Inc.

Expedia, Inc. is the world's leading online travel service and the fourth largest travel agency in the U.S. Expedia's award-winning Expert Searching and Pricing (ESP) technology delivers the most comprehensive flight options available online. ESP also allows customers to dynamically build complete trips that combine flights, Expedia(R) Special Rate hotels and other lodging, ground transportation, and destination services and activities. Expedia's quality and leadership have been recognized in awards, such as PC Magazine's "Editors' Choice" and Forbes' "Favorite General Travel Site." Expedia, Inc. is an operating company of IAC/InterActiveCorp (NASDAQ:IACI). CST: 2029030-40

Expedia, Expedia.com, and the airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the United States, Canada and/or other countries.


Source: Expedia, Inc.

CONTACT: press only: Alexa Waltz of Fleishman-Hillard, +1-415-318-4110
or waltza@fleishman.com, for Expedia, Inc.

Web site: http://www.expedia.com/


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