Montrose Travel Sending Asthmatic Children to Summer Camp; Fourth-Largest Travel Agency in Los Angeles Makes Major Donation to Barlow Hospital

MONTROSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)

Montrose Travel (www.montrosetravel.com), the largest single-location, full-service travel agency with headquarters in Los Angeles, will be sending inner-city children on a summer vacation this year.

Montrose Travel is the fourth-largest travel agency in Los Angeles, according to The Los Angeles Business Journal.

Montrose Travel will provide 90 asthmatic children the opportunity to attend the specialized Children's Asthma Camp through Barlow Respiratory Hospital (www.barlow2000.org). A $20,000 donation was presented to Dr. Chris Ho, president of the Barlow Medical Group and director of the Children's Asthma Camp; Margaret Crane, CEO of Barlow Respiratory Hospital; and Gary D. Steinhauer, vice president of Fund Development for the Barlow Foundation. Related Results.

The check was presented by Joe and Julie McClure, owners of Montrose Travel.

"We are pleased to make this special gift contribution to Barlow's Children's Asthma Camp," said Joe McClure, president, Montrose Travel, adding, "It is a wonderful feeling to know that Montrose Travel and its clients can be involved in making children happy and carefree, the way every child should live."

Montrose Travel's contribution will provide a valuable resource to children suffering from this chronic illness. Asthma is the sixth-ranking chronic condition in children in the United States, and annual costs associated with asthma in the United States are about $11.3 billion. In Los Angeles County, more than 175,000 children suffer with asthma, more children's cases than San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties combined.

Since 1997, Barlow Respiratory Hospital has hosted an annual Children's Asthma Camp for Los Angeles County residents each summer in cooperation with the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Lung Association. Barlow's medical staffs -- physicians, nurses and therapists -- provide all medical treatment and services, medical supplies and asthma education and training.

The week-long residential camp targets inner-city youth, ages 8 through 12, who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe asthma. While at the camp, children receive asthma management education, learn to recognize and avoid asthma triggers, and understand and properly use their medications and behavior modifications techniques.

The camp this year will take place at Camp Marston - a wooded, mountain retreat near the village of Julian located in San Diego County.

Montrose Travel, a family-owned travel agency, grew from 14 employees in 1990 to more than 200 employees in 2000 - an indication of the broad scope of services that it has come to offer. Purchased in 1990 by Joe McClure, wife Julie and sister Andi McClure-Myzsa from parents Joe Sr. and Leora McClure - Montrose Travel has grown from a $4 million travel agency into a $115 million travel management company. The word "team" is used in its truest sense as Montrose Travel considers its employees as its most valuable assets.

Montrose Travel's Commercial Division specializes in corporate travel management, with programs designed to help companies control and decrease business travel expenses. Hawaii... Mexico... Caribbean... Cruises... its Leisure Division has thousands of highly discounted vacations, cruises and tour products and worldwide destinations to choose from. Montrose Travel's Group/Meeting/Incentive Division specializes in handling groups and meetings of all sorts and sizes.

For more information on the Children's Asthma Camp or Barlow Respiratory Hospital, call 213-250-4200, ext 3331. Montrose Travel can be reached by phone at 800-MONTROSE (666-8767) or by visiting www.montrosetravel.com.