Since 2007, Southwest Airlines has partnered with Kidd’s Kids, which is an organization that supports children facing life-altering conditions and their families by sending them on an all-expenses paid trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth outside of Orlando, Florida. Southwest provides the charter flight to send the Kidd’s Kids and their families on the trip, and the Crews who work the flight volunteer their time. For the families who are selected to go on the trip and live outside of the Dallas area, Southwest provides air travel to get them to Orlando from the nearest Southwest-served airport and the Employees at those airports host celebrations for the Kidd’s Kids.
So many Southwest Employees are passionate about Kidd’s Kids and the work the organization does for these special families. One such Employee is Flight Attendant Kelli, who, in 2008, first volunteered her time with Kidd’s Kids, offering to work the charter aircraft to Orlando. Kelli has continued to champion Kidd’s Kids and the organization holds a special place in her heart.
On one of Kelli’s work flights, she met Carter Large and his family, who was traveling home from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As she got to know them, she shared with them her work with Kidd’s Kids, and mentioned to them that they could apply for the annual trip. She continued to stay in touch with the Larges in the months after meeting them, even dropping off treats at their home, as they live near to her. When the Larges applied for the Kidd’s Kids trip, they reached out to Kelli, and she wrote them a recommendation letter.
Kelli and the Large family were overjoyed when they received the news that Carter had been selected to go on the 2022 Kidd’s Kids trip!
At Southwest, we are honored to play a small role in the Kidd’s Kids trip as the families travel together and make memories they will always cherish. This organization is dear to our Hearts, and Employees support the organization in many different ways, including volunteering to staff a fundraising telethon; hosting the families at the celebratory send-off; applying the decal to the aircraft; and celebrating the families in the other Southwest cities (besides Dallas) as they travel to Orlando.
