DALLAS, Feb. 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest
Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today that 75 nonprofit
hospitals and medical organizations across the nation will benefit
from the Southwest Airlines® Medical Transportation Grant Program
(MTGP), with the total impact reaching 100 facilities in 2017. In
celebration of the 10th anniversary the airline's
Medical Transportation Grant Program, Southwest® will donate 10,000
roundtrip flights in 2017 to benefit families who need to travel
for specialized medical care. This travel is donated in an effort
to reduce the financial burden of serious illness on individuals
and families.
Southwest is extending a healing hand through partnership with
Musicians On Call (MOC), a nonprofit organization that brings live
and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare
facilities across the country. Through the airline's partnership
with MOC, musicians will have the opportunity to connect with
patients through the healing power of music—truly medicine for the
soul.
As part of the celebration of Southwest's MTGP milestone
anniversary, MOC will perform special concert performances for
Southwest Customers to enjoy at Los
Angeles (LAX), Nashville
(BNA), and Atlanta (ATL)
airports.
"Musicians On Call is honored to partner with Southwest Airlines
as we work together to provide the healing power of music to
hospital patients and unique music experiences to customers in
cities across the country," said Pete
Griffin, Musicians On Call President. "Like Southwest,
Musicians On Call strives to support children, adults, Veterans,
and families in healthcare facilities and working together we will
have a deeper impact on this shared value."
"Southwest Airlines is known for loving People. We are a Company
with Heart and we are honored to have been able to connect People
with the medical treatment they need for the last 10 years," said
Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines
Vice President and Chief Communications Officer. "This new
partnership with Musicians On Call is a beautiful way to bring
music to patients and put a smile on their faces."
Since the Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant
Program's inception in 2007, more than 59,000 complimentary
roundtrips—valued at more than $23
million—have been distributed to organizations in 28 states.
Duke University Medical Center, the
Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center; Miracle Flights; Shriners Hospitals for
Children; and The University of Texas
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have been MTGP recipients since the
program began 10 years ago. To date, there have been 109 total
participating nonprofit hospitals and medical organizations. Visit
https://www.southwest.com/medicalgrant/ to view a full list of
participating Partners.
To learn more about the positive impact of the Medical
Transportation Grant Program, visit www.southwest.com/medicalgrant.
To learn about qualifications for travel assistance through the
designated organizations, please contact the Social Work,
Travel/Concierge Service, or Patient Assistance Department directly
at the hospitals and medical organizations listed online, as each
has unique guidelines for the administration of tickets.
ABOUT MUSICIANS ON CALL
Musicians On Call (MOC) was
founded in 1999 with the mission of bringing live and recorded
music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities ranging
from children's hospitals to adult facilities, VA hospitals and
hospices. To date, its volunteers have played for half a million
people across the country. By delivering live, in-room performances
to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds,
they add a dose of joy to life in a healthcare facility. MOC
supporters over the years include Bruce
Springsteen, Kelly Clarkson,
Lady Antebellum, Justin Timberlake,
Ed Sheeran, Reba, Gavin DeGraw, Darius
Rucker, Pharrell, Amos Lee,
Nick Jonas, Rachel Platten and many more. For more
information, visit www.musiciansoncall.org.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 46th year of
service, Dallas-based Southwest
Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from
other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by
more than 53,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers
annually. Southwest proudly operates a network of 101
destinations in the United States
and eight additional countries with more than 3,900 departures a
day during peak travel season. Subject to requisite governmental
approvals, service to Grand Cayman
begins June 4, 2017, the same date
service is scheduled to begin from Cincinnati.
Based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent
data, Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms
of originating domestic passengers boarded. The Company operates
the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world, the majority of
which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi providing gate-to-gate
connectivity. That connectivity enables Customers to use
their personal devices to view video on-demand movies and
television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV
compliments of our valued Partners. Southwest created
Transfarency®, a philosophy which treats Customers honestly
and fairly, and in which low fares actually stay low. Southwest is
the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free® to
everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and
weight limits apply, some airlines may allow free checked bags on
select routes or for qualified circumstances), and there are no
change fees, though fare differences might apply. The airline
proudly unveiled a bold new look: Heart. A new
logo, aircraft livery, interior design featuring a new seat and
Flight Attendant galley, Employee-designed uniforms, and an updated
airport experience all showcase the dedication of Southwest
Employees who connect Customers with what's important in their
lives.
From its first flights on June 18,
1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented
affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of
Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and
increase in passenger traffic whenever the carrier enters new
markets. With 44 consecutive years of profitability,
Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known
for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's
performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the
communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and
the planet. The 2015 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found
at SouthwestOneReport.com.
Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online
at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.
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SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.