American Employees, Family and Friends Prepare for Humanitarian Trip to Phuket
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, a delegation
of 23 people -- all American Airlines employees, family and friends -- will
depart Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport bound for Phuket, Thailand,
which was devastated by the tsunami last December. During their eight-day
mission, they will hand deliver humanitarian aid, build boats and purchase
fishing gear for 10 families, as well as dedicate a playground to tsunami
orphans for Airline Ambassadors, International (AAI).
To assist with the mission's objectives, American's Vice President of
Onboard Service Lauri Curtis and Association of Professional Flight Attendants
(APFA) President Tommie Hutto-Blake will present a $25,000 contribution on
behalf of the employees of American Airlines to AAI President Nancy Rivard and
AAI Mission Coordinator and American Airlines Flight Attendant Steven Ellis
prior to departure. Rivard is an American Airlines flight attendant who
founded AAI, the United Nations-recognized charity, in 1996.
The $25,000 contribution represents approximately one-sixth of nearly
$150,000 raised through donations from American Airlines employees to help
tsunami victims.
"The initial outpouring of aid was huge," said Rivard. "But the flow of
aid to Southeast Asia has diminished and there are still plenty of families
without homes, medical supplies, and most importantly, hope."
Volunteers will work side by side with 10 Phuket-area families who lost
their source of income during the tsunami. Together, they will construct,
outfit, paint and launch a number of fishing boats.
"One of the most compelling aspects of Airline Ambassadors is the unique
ability of the organization to transform people by putting them in the
position of personally delivering humanitarian aid," said Curtis. "Last year,
a number of us traveled with AAI to Guatemala to import, assemble and deliver
wheelchairs for some of the most grateful people I've ever seen."
More than 2,000 American Airlines employees are members of AAI and, along
with the rest of its members, provide humanitarian aid to children and
families around the globe. Members of AAI become a living link between human
need and world resources -- modeling the growing trend of volunteer,
humanitarian travel.
In the wake of the devastation caused by last year's tsunami, AAI has made
sending relief teams to Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and Thailand a priority.
The mission to Thailand is part of AAI's long-range effort to adopt the
Children's Learning Center outside Phuket -- a shelter for 400 local children
orphaned by the tsunami.
According to Rivard, "The contributions of American's employees will not
only help AAI dramatically improve the lives of thousands of children, they
will fundamentally impact the volunteers themselves."
"It means so much to meet the children and families we are helping," said
Ellis, who is serving as the mission coordinator for the trip to Thailand.
"It's even more gratifying to know that I'm traveling with my American
Airlines colleagues to deliver aid donated by the employees of my airline."
About Airline Ambassadors, International
Airline Ambassadors, International (AAI) provides humanitarian aid to
children and families in need, as well as international relief and development
to under-privileged communities both in the U.S. and abroad. AAI began with
airline personnel, but has grown to include medical and business
professionals, students and retirees -- anyone who wants to travel to make a
difference. AAI is the only non-governmental organization (NGO) in the world
leveraging contacts with the world's major airlines to facilitate humanitarian
efforts. The group has substantively impacted more than 300,000 children,
delivered $18 million in aid and started schools, clinics, orphanages, housing
projects and more. Visit AAI on the World Wide Web at
http://www.airlineamb.org .
About American Airlines
American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American
Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) regional carriers serve more than
240 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,800 daily flights. The
combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-
winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book
fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American
Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld Alliance, which brings together
some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to
offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide
on its own. Together, its members serve more than 600 destinations in 135
countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle are
subsidiaries of AMR Corporation (NYSE: AMR).
AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, AAdvantage
and Net SAAvers & Special Offers are marks of American Airlines, Inc.
AmericanAirlines(R) We know why you fly(SM)
Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed on the Internet.
The address is http://www.aa.com
SOURCE American Airlines, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.aa.com
http://www.airlineamb.org
CONTACT:
Tim Smith, Corporate Communications of
American Airlines, Inc., +1-817-967-1577, or corp.comm@aa.com
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