Rick Steves to Donate 100% of Inauguration Day Sales to ACLU

Best-selling guidebook author and public TV host Rick Steves announces that he will donate every dollar spent at his online store on Inauguration Day, January 20th, to the ACLU.

Steves announced the fundraiser on social media on Wednesday, January 18th:

"Let's empower the ACLU: For every dollar you spend on Inauguration Day at http://www.ricksteves.com/shop, I'll give a dollar to ACLU Nationwide.

Even though I canceled my flight and hotel reservations for the inauguration in Washington DC after Election Day, I still want to celebrate this important day for all of us Americans. And I want to do it in a way that reflects my values and what I love most about America: tolerance, diversity, and freedom.

That's why I've decided to dedicate Inauguration Day (this Friday) to the ACLU. The American Civil Liberties Union stands on principled grounds in defense of our civil liberties as promised by our Constitution. I believe that Americans of any political stripe can feel proud of the ACLU's mission, as it boldly defends minorities from the tyranny of the majority. Political movements, presidents, and trends come and go, and, as a traveler, I well know how the world looks to America - in good times and bad - as a beacon of freedom...a land where people of all religions, sexual orientations, and ethnicities enjoy equality under the law.

So, to celebrate and help fund the ACLU - which will be working hard for civil liberties in the coming years - I'm happy to send them a donation equal to the entire amount of money spent at http://www.ricksteves.com/shop on January 20th. So what's the deal? It's simple: For every dollar you spend buying any guidebooks or travel gear on Inauguration Day, I'll give a dollar to the ACLU.

Yes, on Saturday, January 21, I'll send a check to the ACLU equal to the amount spent in our Travel Store on Friday, January 20.

Let's hope and pray that with the inauguration of a new president on that day, America finds a way to continue being the bold, compassionate, generous, and inspirational leader our world hopes to see when they look at the Stars and Stripes.

Happy travels in 2017, and God bless America in the coming years."

Kathleen Taylor, Executive Director of the ACLU of Washington said, "We are so grateful to Rick Steves for his longtime support of civil liberties and for once again acting on his values and standing with the ACLU to ensure the rights of everyone in America. Together, we will hold our government accountable to the promise of the Constitution."

Rick Steves is available for a limited number of interviews. Contact Ashley Sytsma, ashley(at)ricksteves(dot)com, 425-608-4293 with requests.

About Rick Steves:
Rick Steves advocates smart, affordable, perspective-broadening travel. As host and writer of the popular public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and best-selling author of over 50 European travel books, he encourages Americans to travel as "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe - and Europeans - for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.

Rick is outspoken on the need for Americans to fit better into our planet by broadening our perspectives through travel. He is also committed to his own neighborhood. He's an active member of the Lutheran church (and has hosted the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's national video productions). He's a board member of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws). And Rick has provided his local YWCA with a 24-unit apartment building with which to house homeless mothers.

He lives and works in his hometown of Edmonds, Washington, where his office window overlooks his old junior high school.