Southwest Airlines and Ronald McDonald House Celebrate A 20-Year Partnership

When "the Airline that LUV built" adopted "the house that Love Built" in 1985 as its primary corporate charity, Southwest Airlines pledged $10,000 to each Ronald McDonald House located in a city Southwest served at the time -- for a total donation of $210,000. Twenty years later, the relationship has grown to mean far more than cash contributions.

"Corporate partnerships are so valuable to the Ronald McDonald House, and the significance of these alliances goes far beyond any monetary donations," said Barbara McDermott, Executive Director of the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. "The Company and its Employees not only give from their hearts in terms of volunteer hours, but they bring a much broader awareness of the many great things that happen here. Our partnership has opened the door for us to seek other high profile partnerships -- simply by virtue of having a company like Southwest involved at such an intimate level."

Southwest seeks to assist the Ronald McDonald House program by increasing public awareness about the houses and their value to any community.

The annual Dallas LUV Classic golf tournament, being held Oct. 7, 2005, originated as a fund-raiser for a popular Dallas club owner, Joe Miller, who was battling cancer. When Miller donated excess funds to the Dallas Ronald McDonald House, Southwest followed his lead. Proceeds from the tournament now are donated to select RMDH houses across Southwest's system. In 2000, the tournament was expanded to include a Phoenix event each May. Total funds donated to Ronald McDonald Houses over the tournament's 20-year history are expected to reach $8 million with the proceeds of this year's event. More than $2 million of the proceeds have gone directly to the Dallas Ronald McDonald House. The Southwest Airlines LUV Classic is the second largest charity golf tournament in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.

"The contributions from the LUV Classic allowed us to undergo a major expansion in 1993 that doubled the size of the House," McDermott said. "We were honored to name our dining room, where so many happy times have been spent with Southwest Employees and our families, for Southwest."

During the holiday season each year, Southwest runs a television ad highlighting its Ronald McDonald House partnership. The original commercial was filmed at the Ft. Worth House and features children and families from the Ronald McDonald Houses as well as Southwest Employees, including Southwest President Colleen Barrett.

In addition, Southwest regularly features the Ronald McDonald House in its inflight magazine, Spirit. In doing so, the airline acquaints more than 70 million Customers annually with the houses and the support they provide to the families temporarily residing in the homes.

The medical community also finds value in the work done at the Ronald McDonald Houses -- and praises companies that give generously from the heart. Longtime Ronald McDonald House volunteer and radiation oncologist at St. Paul Medical Center, Dale E. Fuller, M.D., observed that the family of a child with a life-threatening illness is in great jeopardy, with a divorce rate approaching 85 percent. "Anything that we can do at 'Our House' to ease their distress and lend support and stability to parents and siblings at a time of enormous vulnerability simply must be done," Fuller said. His own interest in the Ronald McDonald House has roots in the death of his six-year-old brother, Don, and even though his sibling died prior to Dr. Fuller's birth, he saw the profound effect of that loss on his parents for the remainder of their lives.

Southwest's interest in the Ronald McDonald House program was initiated in 1983 by one of the Company's pilots, Dick East. Following the loss of his daughter to leukemia, East began volunteering at houses in cities to which he flew. East recruited his coworkers to join him and introduced Southwest Airlines' then Vice President of Customers Colleen Barrett and then CEO Herb Kelleher to the Ronald McDonald House program. Enamored with the program's mission, Barrett (now President of Southwest) and Kelleher (now Executive Chairman of the airline) joined East in his dedication to the houses and encouraged Employees Companywide to become involved.

Today, Southwest's dedication to the Ronald McDonald House has grown as rapidly as the airline itself. Employees coast to coast continue to regularly host dinners at the houses, and twice a year, in June and November, the airline sponsors dinners at houses in every city Southwest serves.

"The Employees of Southwest look forward to activities where they can make a difference," said Ann Hancock, Southwest's LUV Classic Manager. "They are always seeking new and different ways to support the Ronald McDonald Houses across our system, and they also enjoy the opportunity to get their own families involved in giving back to the community."

Last year, Southwest Airlines dedicated a new signature aircraft, "The Spirit of Hope," in honor of the 30th birthday of the first Ronald McDonald House (in Philadelphia). The special Southwest jet features original overhead bin artwork created by children from Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) (RMHC(R)) of Western Washington. The overhead bin doors inside the aircraft's cabin are uniquely embossed with brightly-colored crayon drawings of happy hearts, brilliant rainbows, oversized flowers, and smiling faces.

The Employees of Southwest Airlines give generously from the heart to make a positive difference in their communities. Support of the Ronald McDonald Houses is part of Southwest's "Share the Spirit," which encompasses all community service and philanthropic activities at the airline.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines

Barbara McDermott of Ronald McDonald House, +1-214-631-7354; or Melanie Jones of Southwest Airlines, +1-214-792-4413

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