Southwest Airlines Celebrates A Million Acts Of Kindness, Launches Contest For Nonprofits

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announces its employees, customers, friends, and partners completed and logged a collective one million Acts of Kindness, achieving a goal Southwest had set to meet by the end of this year in recognition of the airline's 50th anniversary.

Photo Insert: One million Acts of Kindness was a goal Southwest had set to meet by the end of this year in recognition of the airline's 50th anniversary.

To celebrate, the carrier continues to give back by offering 501(c)(3) organizations an opportunity to enter a contest* to win 100 domestic one-way Southwest travel awards.

The contest grants travel to 50 nonprofit organizations across the country that will each win 100 domestic one-way Southwest travel awards, enabling their outreach and community work to further spread kindness. The total travel prize is 5,000 domestic one-way Southwest travel awards at a value of $1 million, bolstering one million Acts of Kindness already recorded in 2021.

"Our Employees, Customers, friends, and partners came together and answered a call to complete one million Acts of Kindness—months ahead of our yearend goal," said Linda Rutherford, Executive Vice President People & Communications at Southwest Airlines. "Acts of Kindness are a universal language and make such a difference in the world. We believe there's no better way to celebrate one million Acts of Kindness than by paying forward $1 million of thanks to organizations impacting the lives of those most in need."

To enter the contest, 501(c)(3) organizations can visit Southwest50.com/actsofkindness and:

• Provide high-level details of the organization

• Share how the organization would use the travel awards to spread kindness in their community; and,

• Upload a picture of the organization putting its heart in action.

Each organization may enter once, and the entry must be received by 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021.

Southwest launched the one million Acts of Kindness challenge in January 2021 to kick-off a yearlong celebration of the airline's 50th Anniversary of its first flight, celebrating half a century of connecting People and championing communities to lead with Heart and kindness.

Participants engaged in the challenge by signing the airline's Kindness Pledge and committing to doing Acts of Kindness for others. Each signature on the Kindness Pledge and Act of Kindness shared on social media using the hashtag #HeartinAction counted towards achieving the one million Acts of Kindness goal.

Southwest celebrated Acts of Kindness by highlighting stories such as a Flight Attendant who helped a teacher collect more than 370 Valentine's Day cards from 50 states and five countries, a volunteer from an animal shelter who helped reunite a long-lost cat and his owner, and school administrators who pulled off a surprise recognition for an outstanding teacher.

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