Southwest Donates Over $1 Million in Travel Awards To Nonprofits
For its 50th Anniversary, Southwest Airlines launched the One Million Acts of Kindness contest in January 2021 to support and uplift those who help make the world a better place, one small act at a time. To celebrate having now achieved its goal of inspiring 1 million caring acts in the community, the airline has just chosen 52 charitable, nonprofit organizations to receive a combined gift of One Million Dollars of Thanks.
To kick off its year-long celebration of the 50th Anniversary of its very first flight, Southwest created the One Million Dollars of Thanks contest, which invited to enter to win 100 domestic, one-way travel awards. It initially specified that 50 nonprofits would be selected to receive flight donations, but 52 organizations ultimately achieved perfect scores based on the contest criteria. So, altogether, Southwest has given away 5,200 domestic, one-way travel awards, valued at more than $1 million.
Over 2,500 charitable groups submitted their entries this year and participated in the challenge by signing the airline’s Kindness Pledge, thereby committing to complete acts of kindness for others. To date, 4,383 organizations have signed the Kindness Pledge. Participants helped reach the One Million Acts of Kindness goal when they shared an act of kindness on social media using the hashtag #HeartinAction.
The winning organizations have each been awarded given 100 domestic, one-way Southwest travel awards to support their mission-driven work, and to continue spreading the values of kindness and generosity in the communities they serve. In the coming weeks, Southwest will feature some of these organizations and the work they do in a video series, to air on the carrier’s official channels.
Here are the winning 501(c)(3)s:
Armed Services YMCA of Honolulu (YMCA of Honolulu), Honolulu
Arnold Air Society, Silver Wings and Angel Flight Educational Fund, Sacramento, California
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Island County, Oak Harbor, Washington
Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland
Canine Companions for Independence, Santa Rosa, California
Chi Alpha at The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
Children’s Flight of Hope, Raleigh, North Carolina
Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia
Colorado Orthodontic Foundation, Denver, Colorado
Connecting Point of Park Cities, Dallas, Texas
Cornerstone Foundation, Inc., Hartford, Connecticut
Diversity Center (Santa Cruz Lesbian & Gay Community Center), Santa Cruz, California
Ed Reed Foundation (Players Philanthropy Fund), Baltimore, Maryland
Florida Literacy Coalition, Orlando, Florida
Friends Foundation (Friends of Emmaus), Marthasville, Missouri
Friends of Madison County Child Advocacy Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Give Kids The World Village, Orlando, Florida
Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, Inc., Williston, Florida
HELP of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
Habitat for Humanity East Bay/Silicon Valley, Oakland, California
Healing Odyssey, Inc., Lake Forest, California
HealthRIGHT 360, San Francisco, California
Hearts for Homes, Dallas, Texas
Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia
LIFEDesigns, Inc., Bloomington, Indiana
Lincoln Hills Cares, Denver, Colorado
Med Center Health Foundation (Commonwealth Health Foundation), Bowling Green, Kentucky
Miracle Flights, Las Vegas, Nevada
Mission Centers of Houston, Houston, Texas
Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada
Open Door Sports Inc., Washington, D.C.
Patient Airlift Services, Farmingdale, New York
Peralta Colleges Foundation, Oakland, California
Port Aransas Education Foundation, Port Aransas, Texas
Road Trip Home Animal Rescue, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kentuckiana, Louisville, Kentucky
Seeing Higher, Durham, North Carolina
Share the Care, Inc., Orlando, Florida
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation, Grass Valley, California
SpoofDawg to the Rescue Inc., Orange County, California
Success 1st, Mantua, New Jersey
Support The Enlisted Project (STEP), San Diego, California
The HUGS Foundation, Inc., Rochester, New York
The Russell Home for Atypical Children, Orlando, Florida
The WunderGlo Foundation, Los Angeles, California
Tucson Interfaith HIV/AIDS Network (TIHAN), Tucson, Arizona
United in Autism (DBA Labeled & Loved), Dallas, Texas
Victory Therapy Center, Dallas, Texas
Wheelchairs 4 Kids, Inc., Tampa, Florida
Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation (WAIF), Coupeville, Washington
Young Hearts Foundation, Fairfax, Virginia.