June 03, 2010 14:11 ET

HoJo Happy Challenge Down to Two; Final Round of Voting Underway

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwire - June 3, 2010) -  After four weeks of daily online voting, two contestants have advanced to the final round of Howard Johnson and the Harlem Globetrotters' The Give Happy Challenge and are now just one round of voting away from winning $15,000 for the cause of their choice and a personal visit from the Harlem Globetrotters.

Facing off in the online voting showdown are the students of Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School in Tampa, Fl. and a class of first grade students from McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md.

Should the Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School students win, the school will use the money to continue to provide the supplies, clothing and experiences necessary for its 80 students all of whom are homeless and live in shelters, to receive a proper education. If the McDonogh School students win, they will help a local shelter to buy a new van, which will allow the shelter to continue to provide more than 200 of Baltimore's homeless with food every weekend.

"We weren't sure what to expect when we challenged people to make others happy but I have to say that we were blown away by all the contestants," said Howard Johnson Brand Senior Vice President Rui Barros. "Soon, one of these deserving classes will be given the opportunity to go out and continue their happy spreading efforts in a big way. But before they can, they need your votes!" 

The final round of The Give Happy Challenge is currently underway and will end at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, June 10, 2010 with the winner being announced on or around June 21, the beginning of summer and traditionally the happiest day of the year.

Voters will be able to cast one vote per day and the finalists with the most votes at the end of the two week period will be declared the winner. Videos detailing each finalist's submissions as well as complete competition rules are available at www.thegivehappychallenge.com.

The students from Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School entered the challenge based on their many happy spreading efforts over the past year, which included raising money to help support relief efforts in Haiti, singing holiday songs for those in their community and participating in the "Empty Bowls" project, an international effort to help fight local hunger.

The students from McDonogh School entered the challenge with the mantra: "it starts with me." In the last year, the students have undertaken numerous projects aimed at helping the homeless in Baltimore city, including picking apples, making sandwiches, organizing can drives, preparing hygiene kits and making blankets.

The Give Happy Challenge was created by Howard Johnson and the Harlem Globetrotters, two brands with a legacy of spreading fun and cheer, as a way to encourage others to do the same.

Howard Johnson International, a member of the Wyndham Hotel Group family of lodging brands, is a global chain of primarily midscale and economy hotels featuring single, double and suite accommodations. All properties in the U.S. and Canada, and most properties in other regions, offer complimentary high-speed Internet access, expanded cable television, in-room coffee and weekday newspaper. Select hotels offer complimentary Rise & Dine® continental breakfast and allow pets.

Reservations and information are available by calling (800) 446-4656 or by visiting www.hojo.com. All Howard Johnson hotels are independently owned and operated. Howard Johnson International is an indirect subsidiary of Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: WYN).