Share the Spirit

In December 2007, a fifth-grade Webelo Scout Pack in Tampa, Fla., sewed and stuffed more than 50 pillows for the Ronald McDonald House, using recycled batting from Southwest Airlines in-flight pillows and colorful fabrics.

Led by Southwest Airlines Captain David Meckley, the Scouts served the Benjamin Smiles Project, which produces comfortable pillows for children staying at the Ronald McDonald House. Meckley said another group, upon learning of the Webelo Scouts, was inspired to serve the same project and produced more than 100 pillows.

The Benjamin Smiles Project is a tribute to a 6-year-old boy who lost his life to cancer in 1999 and is remembered at the Ronald McDonald House for his bright smile and positive attitude. To pass the time during their stay, Benjamin’s mother made brightly colored pillows and quilts, and Benjamin enjoyed sharing these gifts with his friends. The Ronald McDonald House is a home-away-from-home for more than 2,300 pediatric families annually.

Southwest Airlines Employees in Albuquerque, New Mexico, presented the Ronald McDonald House with a check for $20,000 at the airline’s annual Holiday Dinner there last November. The Albuquerque team raised the funds at their annual Albuquerque Golf Tournament.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, twenty Southwest Employees from Midway Airport landscaped an area and repainted the playground lines at Ruben Salazar Bilingual Academy in Chicago. Ruben Salazar students will also adopt a Pilot in the annual Southwest Airlines Adopt-a-Pilot educational program.

Southwest Employees in St. Louis donated more than 50 gifts to Missouri children who attended the Snowball Express Christmas party in Orange County, Calif. Snowball Express is a nonprofit organization that aims to create new memories and joy for families who have lost a parent or spouse in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 11, 2001.

For two weeks, Southwest Employees in Denver brought Thanksgiving items to work for the Thanksgiving SHARE Basket project, which supplies necessities during the holidays for needy families in the Denver area. The Employees teamed with volunteers from the city, including Aurora Mayor, city council members, and state representatives to organize and distribute the baskets. The employees amassed 228 food baskets and more than 50 packages of food, toiletries, and supplies, which were distributed to SafeHouse Denver, Developmental Pathways, the Denver Indian Family Resource Center, and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, among others.

Southwest Employees from Las Vegas, Dallas, and Phoenix repainted the interior walls of the Shade Tree in January 2008. The Shade Tree is a North Las Vegas center for women and children who are victims of abuse.