Metro Elevator, Inc. & Whittenberg Construction
to launch pink construction elevator in Louisville, KY to benefit Susan G Komen®.RTPE logo

Metro Elevator Co., Inc. is raising the bar on fundraising with its partnership with Susan G. Komen to launch a national campaign, Ride the Pink Elevator, to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. The campaign will launch at 120 W Main St, Louisville, KY, on April 16, 2015, with a kickoff celebration of the Pink Elevator at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse & Raw Bar. The Louisville fundraiser will continue through July 15, 2015, and serve as the model for similar campaigns around the country. Donations collected in Louisville will support Komen’s work locally & nationally to end breast cancer.
Metro Elevator Co., Inc. specializes in rack and pinion construction hoist sales and leasing, Metro Elevator paints select elevators the signature Komen pink to raise awareness of breast cancer and will partner with their clients, top builders and general contractors on select projects in major U.S. cities.
Metro Elevator is set to install the pink elevator at 120 W Main by the end of February 2015, at the new Aloft Hotel development coming to Louisville in the fourth quarter 2015. Metro Elevator’s initiative has converted these mechanical marvels into brilliant and vibrant pink fundraising ambassadors for a cause that affects approximately 12% of women annually. The Kentucky Cancer Registry reported that in 2012, there were 3,798 newly diagnosed cases of breast cancer In Kentucky alone. According to Dr. Eric Durbin (KCR) these rates do not change significantly from year to year: similar numbers are expected in 2015.
According to Charlie Ernstes II, president of Metro Elevator, interest in the Ride the Pink Elevator campaign is growing and now has four additional builder-general contractors who have committed to this fundraising opportunity. Metro is pleased to work with Komen leaders in Louisville to turn this into a well-received national program.
“I am thankful, excited and amazed that the Ride the Pink Elevator campaign has taken off on the level it has,’ said Ernstes “It has been an invigorating awakening, beginning with thoughts of doing a one-time fundraiser here in Indianapolis, to now getting calls from all over the United States asking for our Pink Elevators. We truly appreciate the opportunity to work with and help fund such a worthy cause for something that affects 1 in 8 women in the U.S, and with an organization that is working to improve the health and well-being of women around the world.”
The Aloft hotel, developed by Louisville local Steve Poe and Indianapolis-based REI Real Estate Services, is situated in the trending Whiskey Row on Main Street in downtown. The hotel will be managed by Indiana-based White Lodging. With more than 75 hotels in 14 countries around the world, Starwood’s Aloft brand delivers a fresh approach to the traditional staid hotel landscape. At the WXYZ Bar located in the hotel lobby, visitors and locals can sip on specialty cocktails while listening to energizing music or live acoustic performances. The bar will be custom-designed, featuring an extensive list of Kentucky’s home produced whiskey and bourbon and will open onto Main Street in the heart of Whiskey Row.
For the “always on” next generation of traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience and a modern style that is different by design. For more information, please visit www.alofthotels.com.
For more information and to support the Ride the Pink Elevator campaign to benefit Komen, visit www.komen.org/pinkelevator.com
About Metro Elevator, Inc.
Metro Elevator Co, Inc. was founded in 1970 and is based in Indianapolis, IN. We specialize in sales, service and leasing of various brands of rack & pinion construction hoists and elevators. Our corporate motto is, “Getting our customers to the Top since 1970.” Metro Elevator is also a proud sponsor of the Indianapolis Colts and Indy Car driver Pippa Mann, in the Komen Indy car at the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Visit metroelevator.com or call 317-562-9833. Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/metroelevator and Twitter @metroelevator and to make a donation visit www.komen.org/pinkelevator
About Susan G. Komen®
Susan G. Komen is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, funding more breast cancer research than any other nonprofit while providing real-time help to those facing the disease. Since its founding in 1982, Komen has funded more than $847 million in research and provided $1.8 billion in funding to screening, education, treatment and psychosocial support programs serving millions of people in more than 30 countries worldwide. Komen was founded by Nancy G. Brinker, who promised her sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would end the disease that claimed Suzy’s life. Visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN. Connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/susangkomen and Twitter @SusanGKomen.
About Komen – Louisville
The Louisville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancers in their local community; currently serving 15 counties in the Kentuckiana area. They join more than three million breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe, as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancers. Through events like the Pink Tie Ball and the Komen Louisville Race for the Cure®, the Louisville Affiliate has invested over $5.6 million to Greater Kentuckiana for breast health education, screenings and treatment support programs; and almost $2 million to breast cancer research. For more information, visit: KomenLouisville.org or call (502) 495-7824.
About Whittenberg Construction
In 1924, H. G. Whittenberg Sr. launched a contracting firm specializing in home construction. Today, nearly nine decades later, that original company has grown to become of the largest general contracting firms in the region.
Whittenberg Construction, located in Louisville, KY has been, and continues to be, responsible for construction of some of the most impressive structures to be found in Kentucky and the surrounding area, encompassing every conceivable type and size of project. Throughout this impressive span of time, the company’s proudest boast has been and remains today the fact that the company has never failed to complete a contract….for any reason. The formula for the remarkable record of success has been simple: Meticulous attention to detail, an unwavering commitment to quality, and an unshakable respect for budgets and deadlines. Our mission statement: Building challenging projects and lasting relationships with clients who recognize value and appreciate superior construction services. For additional information, call 502-361-8891 or visit www.wccbuild.com.
About White Lodging
White Lodging Services Corporation was established in 1985 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Ind. White Lodging is a fully integrated hotel ownership, development and operations company focused on developing and operating premium-branded hotels in growing urban markets across the United States. The company is a recognized leader that has defined
and cultivated the ability to achieve consistent, sustainable growth among mid- to large-scale hotels. Its current portfolio consists of more than 160 hotels in 21 states and encompasses representation of the following leading brands: Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Global, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Preferred Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotel Group. For more information about White Lodging, please visit www.whitelodging.com.
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