ATLANTA, Sept. 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines'
(NYSE: DAL) 12th annual "Breast Cancer One" employee survivor
flight takes to the skies today, kicking off the airline's
month-long campaign to generate awareness and raise funds for the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). Delta's iconic pink plane
will carry more than 140 employee breast cancer survivors on the
flight's first transcontinental route from New York City to Los
Angeles.
"The work we do with BCRF each year has one goal – eradicating
breast cancer. This partnership stems from our commitment to not
only support each other, but also the communities where we live,
work and serve each day," said Allison
Ausband, Delta's Senior Vice President – In-Flight Service.
"With the help of our employees, customers and community partners
we will continue to work together to create a better tomorrow."
Delta leaders and BCRF executives will join the survivors for a
kickoff celebration at New York
City's John F. Kennedy
International Airport. The group will then take off for
Los Angeles International Airport
where survivors will be treated to a special evening at the JW
Marriott, Los Angeles L.A. LIVE.
The dinner event will celebrate the survivors, discuss cancer
research milestones and include special guests Wanda Sykes and co-founders of BCRF's Women's
Cancer Research Fund Rita Wilson, Jamie
Tisch, Kelly Meyer Quinn
Ezralow and Marion Laurie.
The dinner will also include a meet-and-greet with Dr. Sofia Merajver, one of BCRF's world-renowned
researchers.
For the third year in a row, Delta customers will also join the
flight. Delta recently held a SkyMiles Experiences online auction,
where three customers donated a total of 205,001 miles, which will
go directly toward BCRF and its efforts. The three customers, each
with a guest of their choice, will also be a part of the flight.
"As a global leader, Delta's commitment has been instrumental in
advancing BCRF's mission to be the end of breast cancer," said
Myra Biblowit, President of BCRF.
"Delta's dedication is deeply personal—underscored by the passion
of their employees and customers. In joining forces with the
highest rated breast cancer organization in the country and the
largest private funder of research in the world, we are confident
that, together, we will consign breast cancer to the history
books."
Delta employees, customers and their friends and families have
raised $11 million for BCRF since
2005, including last year's efforts of $1.75
million. The collective contributions have funded the vital
work of 44 different research projects over the years in the
pursuit of eradicating breast cancer.
To further raise awareness and support for breast cancer
research, Delta employees will wear pink uniforms and sell pink
products, including pink lemonade and pink headsets, on board and
in Delta Sky Clubs throughout the
month of October.
Additional information, including how to donate, is available on
delta.com/bcrf.
Delta offers the most seats of any airline between New York's JFK and Los Angeles and San
Francisco and is the only carrier to operate widebody
service on both routes. The airline has also made several
investments both in the air and on the ground to enhance the
experience for customers. In Los
Angeles, Delta will soon embark upon a relocation to
Terminals 2 and 3 at LAX, taking steps toward a $1.9 billion plan to create a premier partner hub
that offers best-in-class check-in, seamless connectivity and an
industry-leading customer experience. In the meantime, Delta's LAX
customers continue to enjoy its recent $229
million facilities investment at Terminal 5, including a
newly remodeled Delta Sky Club and a brand new premium check-in
experience, Delta ONE at LAX. In New
York, Delta customers at JFK travel through a $1.4 billion, state-of-the-art international
gateway at Terminal 4, which opened in 2013. A new Delta Sky Club
in San Francisco opened last
summer.
Once onboard, all cross-country flights between JFK and LAX and
SFO offer the premium cabin Delta One, with full flat-bed seats and
a suite of other amenities, including TUMI amenity kits, featuring
Kiehl's Since 1851 products, and wines selected by Master Sommelier
Andrea Robinson. To commemorate the airline's BCRF campaign, Delta
partnered with TUMI to create a unique BCRF amenity kit to help
generate awareness. The kits will be offered on Delta One flights
out of the U.S. and flights between JFK and LAX and SFO. Customers
traveling from JFK to LAX are also able to enjoy hand-crafted,
seasonally rotating meals from Union Square Hospitality Group's
North End Grill.
Additionally, Delta Comfort+ offers upgraded amenities such as
dedicated overhead space, extra legroom and premium snacks
including Luvo sandwich wraps and Greek frozen yogurt bars.
Customers can also access free entertainment options through Delta
Studio.
About Delta's "Pink Plane"
In 2012, Delta's
international Boeing 767-400ER was formally dedicated to the memory
of Evelyn Lauder who founded the
Breast Cancer Research Foundation in 1993. The aircraft flies
international routes and will raise awareness for BCRF around the
world this year. Delta's first pink plane was a Boeing 757 that
flew between 2005 and 2010 throughout the
United States, Latin
America and the Caribbean
to generate awareness for the cause.
About Breast Cancer Research Foundation
The Breast
Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) is dedicated to being the end of
breast cancer by advancing the world's most promising research.
Founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993,
BCRF-funded investigators have been deeply involved in every major
breakthrough in breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and
survivorship. This year, BCRF will award $57
million to support the work of more than 250 scientists at
leading medical and academic institutions across 14 countries,
making BCRF the largest private funder of breast cancer research
worldwide. By committing 91 cents of
every dollar directly to its mission, BCRF is one of the nation's
most fiscally responsible nonprofits. BCRF is the only breast
cancer organization in the US with an "A+" from CharityWatch and
has been awarded Charity Navigator's highest rating of four stars
14 times since 2002. Visit http://www.bcrfcure.org/ to learn
more.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million
customers each year. In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50
Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired
airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has
ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for
an unprecedented five consecutive years. With an industry-leading
global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer
service to 321 destinations in 56 countries on six continents.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta
employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a
mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding
member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the
industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air
France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin
Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers
customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets
including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and
Facebook.com/delta.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160926/411999
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090202/DELTALOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deltas-12th-annual-breast-cancer-one-survivor-flight-takes-hope-to-new-heights-300334503.html
SOURCE Delta Air Lines