Make sure you check out the pictures from and upcoming articles about the 2013 GT Tested Reader Survey awards. The ceremony was held Dec. 10 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills with the guest of honor address from Terry Waite. Terry gave an incredible talk about his ordeal and of those who have been held captive. He also talked about Nelson Mandela and his struggle to free victims of apartheid in South Africa. It was an inspiring speech that we will load on the web for you to view very shortly. I will add the link to this blog when we do so.

During this holiday season that is upon us, it is important to remember those in need or less fortunate. At Global Traveler, we turned our annual GT Tested Reader Survey awards into an effort to give back by choosing The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as our selected charity. Airlines and hotels around the world donate rooms and business-class flights to our pledge. These prizes are then auctioned off at globaltravelerusa.com/auction (the site for this year’s auction goes live March 1) and all proceeds are turned over to LLS. It is a wonderful way to give back and help those less fortunate. 

The auction starts March 1, and we will continue to reach out to more and more suppliers to make sure we exceed the contributions made in 2013. Over the past 10 years, GT donated more than a million dollars to charities. Help us reach our aggressive goals for 2014!

— Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO