08-25-2014
08:15 PM
08-25-2014
08:15 PM
Speaking of ALS ice bucket challenges, our Southwest pilot challenged the entire plane this morning flying from Tampa to MHT and did his own ice bucket challenge with a stewardess! Love it. Here's a link to the video I shot on the plane: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=825548990811466&id=100000691172595
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Whether fighting fires, serving meals to the homeless, or rebuilding homes, our Employees are lending hands to make a positive difference. They battle in court on behalf of abuse victims unable to defend themselves; provide relief for the homeless; food for the hungry; comfort for the abandoned; and love to the abused. But, most of all, they give hope. Once a year, Southwest takes the time to honor and thank those Employees who have gone above and beyond in making a positive difference in their communities during our annual Volunteers of LUV event. This year, we received more than 400 nominations from both our Employees and nonprofits for the award. Twenty-one of our Employees stood out amongst the rest. Out of the 139,000 hours Southwest Airlines Employees volunteered last year, this group of 21 Employees volunteered a combined 5,000 hours. That’s enough time to fly between New York and Los Angeles 833 times! These 21 Employees support Southwest Airlines in the air and on the ground. But, beyond Southwest Employees, they are also heroes in our communities and examples to their fellow co-workers. Our Servants’ Hearts beat strong at Southwest Airlines. Our Culture of doing the right thing begins with our Employees and extends into our communities. And, it always comes from the heart. How are you making a difference in your community?
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Recently, B’nai B’rith honored Southwest Airlines and our Chairman, President, and CEO, Gary Kelly with their annual Distinguished Achievement Award recognizing our commitment to industry innovation, community service, diversity education, and philanthropic leadership. B’nai B’rith, a humanitarian organization founded in 1843, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world through programs focused on the elderly, youth education, community service, tolerance, and disaster relief. Through their annual award, they seek to recognize and encourage corporate leaders to continue the efforts of assisting those in need – a natural inclination for Southwest, but not for all others. Dan Mariaschin, Executive Vice President of B’nai B’rith, was eloquent in his comments on Gary and Southwest, recognizing our citizenship as an extension of our famous Customer Service. With a shared focus on Disaster Preparedness, the evening was also a fund-raiser for the efforts of B’nai in Haiti where they continue to help people get back on their feet. Our own Herb Kelleher gave the keynote speech recognizing Gary’s incredible leadership during these tough economic times and acknowledging his support of continuing to give back to our communities as the right thing to do. In a small world moment, the evening master of ceremonies was Seth Rikland, a diehard Southwest fan and A-Lister who also happens to have gone to high school in San Antonio with Gary. Seth even played football with Gary! The evening was a wonderful tribute to all that Southwest does and to our incredible leader, Gary Kelly. In accepting the award, Gary paid tribute to all the Southwest Employees who make it possible for Southwest to remain such a strong Company, delivering wonderful Customer Service to our Customers and to our communities through all your volunteer and giving efforts.
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12-22-2009
11:28 AM
594 Loves
Everyone knows how the People of Southwest LUV our Customers and take great care of them on the planes, in the airport, and on the telephone. What you might not know, but would expect, is that same care and love extends beyond our Customers to our Communities. We hire People who care, so it stands to reason that they would also want to help the communities where they live and work. At Southwest, we call this Share the Spirit, a program where we give back to communities through our charitable giving, Employee volunteerism, and community programs. This weekend, we are thrilled to show you just a few of our wonderful Employees doing what comes naturally, giving back. So during your football watching parties, keep an eye out for some new Southwest spots that feature Southwest Employees in action. As the spots point out, while our People might work as Flight Attendants, Pilots, or Mechanics; who they really are is seen when they are away from Southwest as volunteers who help families with seriously ill children, travel companions for World War II Veterans traveling to the Memorial for the first time, or mentors in the fifth-grade classrooms. It was a thrill to work on this project and learn all that our Employees do to help the people in their communities. The variety of their interests and time they put in is simply amazing. We featured some of their stories in a print ad in Spirit magazine last month and now have the ads to showcase their care. The stories were so wonderful that we wanted to let you see the full story so we created this video which highlights these incredible Employees sharing their story of why they do what they do. While these stories follow the areas where Southwest is focused as a Company, our Employees work on many other issues and causes to truly make a positive difference. But the amazing thing is how much they will each tell you that they get back. So while you watch this video, please think about how you can reach out and help others. It only takes one person to make a difference and you will get far more back than you give!
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