Southwest Airlines and the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) on Tuesday announced that it will donate $1 from every EarlyBird Check-In purchase from Tuesday through October 4, up to $100,000, to help the NWRA with its Gulf wildlife recovery efforts.
The program, called “Help Us Help Them,” also commemorates the airline’s one-year anniversary partnership with the NWRA.
“Giving back and protecting our planet is very important to us,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Communication and Strategic Outreach. “This giving program is particularly relevant as oil spill recovery efforts will continue far into the future. We’re celebrating the first anniversary of the Early Bird Check-In product and decided that an investment in our communities was the best gift to both our Employees and our Customers.”
The National Wildlife Refuge Association has shown commitment in building strategic relationships that further its goal to strengthen the ecological integrity of national wildlife refuges, ensuring diverse spectrum of plants and wildlife well into the future.
“As the official airline of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Southwest is again making a positive difference for America’s wildlife,” said Evan Hirsche, President of the Refuge Association.
“The EarlyBird giving program is a winner for Southwest travelers and for the wildlife that depend on the health of Gulf coast wildlife refuges and the National Wildlife Refuge System. We’re grateful for this extraordinary pledge of support, which will help pelicans, manatees, terns, sea turtles, and a host of other species,” Hirsche added.
EarlyBird Check-In is a low-cost option ($10 each way) that gives Southwest Airlines Customers the convenience of automatic flight checkin, allowing customers to select a preferred seat and have greater access to overhead bin storage for carryon luggage than general boarding customers.
