Southwest Continues Commitment to Conservation, Dallas in City’s Newest Green Space
DALLAS, TX—April 28, 2014—For more than four decades, Southwest Airlines has demonstrated a strong commitment to the city of Dallas, and, today, that dedication was on full display as more than 150 Southwest Airlines Employees and Student Conservation Association (SCA) volunteers joined together to plant native species and clear invasive plants and debris from the Trinity River Corridor in the culmination of Southwest’s Spring Nationwide Volunteerism Campaign.
Volunteers collected 3,000 pounds of trash and invasive species, such as ragweed, planted 115 mature native plants, and planted one-fourth acre of lovegrass seeds.
“Giving back and being a committed corporate citizen is important to Southwest Airlines and our Employees, and we demonstrate that by giving our time and resources to causes that enrich our communities,” said Gary Kelly, Chairman, President, and CEO, Southwest Airlines. “As a proud partner with the SCA, we share a commitment to conservation and preserving the Trinity River Corridor for future generations.”
Click here to read more about how Southwest Airlines has been dedicated to Dallas for more than 43 years. Southwest Airlines announced a three-year grant to the Trinity Trust to form the Trinity River Conservation Corps last April, which promotes volunteerism and contributes to the ongoing conservation work in the Trinity River Corridor. As the Official Airline of the SCA, Southwest also provides financial support to SCA youth programs, and Southwest Employees regularly volunteer to assist SCA members.
“Southwest Airlines has enabled thousands of high school and college students to enjoy life-changing conservation service opportunities here in Dallas and across America,” said SCA President Dale Penny. “As they connect with the land, these young people develop skills and insights that turn them into lifelong stewards and engaged citizens.”
Along with Southwest, presenting sponsors of SCA’s Earth Day projects include American Eagle Outfitters, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Domtar, Exelon Foundation, and Johnson Controls.
About Southwest Airlines
In its 43rd year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 45,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Southwest is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 96 destinations in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near-international countries via wholly owned subsidiary, AirTran Airways. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier’s performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2012 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at southwest.com/citizenship.
About the Student Conservation Association
The Student Conservation Association is the only national organization that develops tomorrow’s conservation leaders by providing high school and college students with service opportunities in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests. More than 4,000 SCA members annually render over two million hours of service to America’s public lands. Since 1957, SCA has helped to develop new generations of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet. SCA is headquartered in Washington, DC and maintains offices in Anchorage, AK, Boise, ID, Chicago, IL, Charlestown, NH, Houston, TX, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, and Seattle, WA.