By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– Hawaiian Airlines’ HawaiianMiles Charities program awarded 9.2 million miles to nine Hawaii nonprofit organizations in 2011, helping them to stretch their budgets and enhance their ability to reach those in need.
The donated miles could be used for 1,227 neighbor island flight tickets – enough to fill 10 of Hawaiian’s 123-seat B717 aircraft – or 460 tickets for flights between Hawaii and any of Hawaiian’s 10
mainland gateway cities.
Mark Dunkerley, Hawaiian’s president and CEO, commented, “We support the vital work that these charitable organizations perform every day in our communities and applaud our HawaiianMiles members for their generosity in helping them to fulfill their missions.”
HawaiianMiles Charities supports the work of designated Hawaii nonprofits by allowing Hawaiian’s frequent flyer members to donate all or a portion of their mileage into a special account managed on behalf of each organization by the airline.
Hawaiian Airlines supports the member contributions by making annual matching gifts of up to 500,000 miles to each nonprofit. Of the 9.2 million miles awarded in 2011, HawaiianMiles members donated 5.9 million miles and Hawaiian donated 3.3 million matching miles.
The Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross received 2.2 million HawaiianMiles in 2011, the most of any program participant, with 1.7 million miles donated by members and 500,000 miles by Hawaiian. “The care and support of the American Red Cross is needed statewide and being able to rely on the generosity of Hawaiian Airlines and its frequent flyer members to allay our travel costs is a huge benefit and means we can put more funding into other assistance programs,” said Coralie Matayoshi, CEO of the American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter.
Shriners Hospitals for Children® in Honolulu received 1.6 million HawaiianMiles last year, 1.1 million miles in member donations and 500,000 miles from Hawaiian. “The HawaiianMiles Charities program is critical to our mission of providing care that children desperately need, regardless of a family’s ability to pay,” said Stan Berry, Shriners Hospital Administrator. “Because of the generosity of Hawaiian and its frequent flyer members, many children from the neighbor islands and throughout the Pacific Basin are able to stand taller or walk for the first time, and enjoy the same activities as other children.”
Eleven Hawaii nonprofit organizations are designated for participation in HawaiianMiles Charities this year: American Cancer Society; American Red Cross; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Honolulu; Blood Bank of Hawaii; Friends of Hokule‘a and Hawai‘iloa; HUGS; Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project; National Kidney Foundation; Read Aloud America; Shriners Hospitals, and; Special Olympics.
To learn more about supporting the nonprofit organizations in the HawaiianMiles Charities program, visit online at www.HawaiianAirlines.com/HawaiianMiles/donate-miles/. Donating miles to any or all of the 11 nonprofits is easy, convenient and accomplished online.
In addition to the support offered nonprofits by the HawaiianMiles Charities program, Hawaiian Airlines and its employees support a multitude of charities, nonprofit organizations, and community events throughout Hawaii annually with cash, in-kind and manpower donations.