January 18 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Greg La Claire
(323) 960-3110
greglac@celebritycentre.org
Pat Harney
(727) 445-4338
coscw@scientology.org

STARS COME OUT TO CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY OF SCIENTOLOGY RELIGIOUS RETREAT AND CLEARWATER LANDMARK, THE FORT HARRISON HOTEL

Many of the Scientology religion’s most famous parishioners frequently travel from Hollywood to Clearwater, Florida, to visit the Church’s international religious retreat. Several were on hand to celebrate the 76th anniversary of a historic landmark.

CLEARWATER, FL — Saturday, January 18, 2003. Scientologists from around the world, including high-profile members from Hollywood, celebrated the 76th anniversary of the Church of Scientology international religious retreat, the Fort Harrison Hotel. Built in 1926, the landmark Clearwater property was purchased by the Church in 1975 and has been fully renovated and restored over the years.

Nearly 600 local business owners, government officials and civic leaders, as well as some of the Church’s most well-known parishioners, enjoyed a red-carpet entrance, reception, dinner, concert and dancing at the invitation-only, black-tie affair.

Mingling with local residents were John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Anne Archer, Erika Christensen, Jenna Elfman, Michelle Stafford and Catherine Bell. Guests enjoyed a concert by jazz legend Chick Corea, Academy Award-winning composer and singer Isaac Hayes and Grammy Award-winning film composer and trumpeter Mark Isham.

Many of these parishioners travel here several times a year for Scientology advanced spiritual counseling and study. John Travolta recently purchased property in Marion County that includes an airstrip so that he and wife Kelly Preston and their children can fly in and out of the area on their frequent visits. Chick Corea has lived in Clearwater for a decade.

The Scientology Church in Clearwater is the “spiritual mecca” of the Scientology religion. Some 1,500 Scientologists from all over the world visit at the church retreat at any given time, and most of the millions of Scientologists will visit the church in Clearwater at least once in their lifetime.

For many local residents, including the thousands of Scientologists who live in the Tampa Bay area, the Fort Harrison Hotel is the heart of Clearwater. The hotel’s grand opening was held in the Rooftop Restaurant on New Year’s Eve 1926, with 500 partygoers ushering in 1927. The Fort Harrison continued to be the scene of grand parties, events and concerts, housed U.S. troops during World War II, and was the spring training home of the Phillies. The famed Rolling Stones hit “I Can’t Get no Satisfaction” was written by Mick Jagger poolside at the Fort Harrison in 1965.

Through mid-February, the hotel hosts a daily open house and tours of the historic hotel and the new “What Is Scientology?” exhibit.