Henri Landwirth
Encyclopedia
Henri Landwirth is an hotelier, philanthropist, and founder of Give Kids The World
and Dignity U Wear. He was originally from Belgium
and is a Holocaust survivor. After World War II
, he fled to the United States
after a stint in the Army
; Landwirth took a course in hotel management. He first worked in New York City
and then in 1954 became manager of the Starlite Motel in Florida
. In 1978 he founded Fanny Landwirth Foundation, named after his mother and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in 1984, with the Mercury Seven
astronauts. In 1986, Landwirth started Give Kids The World
after a reservation had been cancelled by the family of a terminally-ill child that had died while making arrangements for the trip. In 1999 he founded Dignity U Wear which gives clothing to homeless and abused children and their families.
Henri and his experiences in the Holocaust and later with Give Kids the World
were the subjects of a 2006 documentary
by Robert Allan Black entitled Borrowing Time.
Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World Village is a nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Florida for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Children between the ages of 3 and 18 who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness by a licensed doctor are eligible for a GKTW Wish...
and Dignity U Wear. He was originally from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and is a Holocaust survivor. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after a stint in the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
; Landwirth took a course in hotel management. He first worked in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and then in 1954 became manager of the Starlite Motel in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. In 1978 he founded Fanny Landwirth Foundation, named after his mother and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in 1984, with the Mercury Seven
Mercury Seven
Mercury Seven was the group of seven Mercury astronauts selected by NASA on April 9, 1959. They are also referred to as the Original Seven and Astronaut Group 1...
astronauts. In 1986, Landwirth started Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World Village is a nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Florida for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Children between the ages of 3 and 18 who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness by a licensed doctor are eligible for a GKTW Wish...
after a reservation had been cancelled by the family of a terminally-ill child that had died while making arrangements for the trip. In 1999 he founded Dignity U Wear which gives clothing to homeless and abused children and their families.
Henri and his experiences in the Holocaust and later with Give Kids the World
Give Kids The World
Give Kids The World Village is a nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Florida for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Children between the ages of 3 and 18 who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness by a licensed doctor are eligible for a GKTW Wish...
were the subjects of a 2006 documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
by Robert Allan Black entitled Borrowing Time.