Headquarters was hopping with excitement this past week as Southwest Airlines Employees jumped at the chance to participate in an annual tradition that has been around nearly 15 years.
Each Spring, various Departments from Headquarters rally Employees to donate Easter baskets to give to local charities including Children’s Medical Center, Ronald McDonald House, and Casa Shelter. Employees were charged with collecting eggs, candy, and other Easter toys to fill the baskets. Then, a few days before Easter, Employees offered a helping hand to fill plastic eggs with candy, stuff the baskets with grass, and tie ribbons around them.
The tradition grows with each year, and this year, nearly 600 Easter baskets were donated to local charities. Last Tuesday, the participating departments lined the baskets along the walls of the front lobby for all to admire, before being donated. Once the baskets were collected, the Facilities Team, accompanied by a few hardworking Easter Bunnies, loaded the baskets to be transported to the charities.
It seems the Easter spirit was contagious throughout Headquarters. A New Hire Reservations class stopped training in order to pitch in and load all of the baskets. Even an anxious applicant waiting for an interview in the front lobby offered to help. He said that seeing our Employees’ dedication to their community made him even more excited about the prospect of joining the Southwest Family!
Thanks to our Employees’ Servants’ Hearts, 600 children in need received Easter baskets this holiday. Donating Easter baskets is yet another example of Southwest Airlines’ ongoing commitment to the communities we serve. Find out more about Southwest’s citizenship efforts here: http://www.southwest.com/citizenship.