Southwest Airlines 32nd Annual LUV Classic Golf Tournament Gives Back To Local Communities In Three Impactful Ways

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Dec 15, 2017, 10:00 ET

DALLAS, Dec. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced its 32^nd Annual LUV Classic Golf Tournament donated more than $500,000 to deserving charities around the country. This event invites golfers to participate in a unique tournament and tee up to support great causes. With more than 1,200 people attending this year's event, the LUV Classic helped give back to communities across the nation in three important ways.

Supporting Children's Charities

Part of the money raised at the LUV Classic will be donated to four charities that focus on improving the well-being of children across the country. Shriners Hospital for Children, MD Anderson Children's Cancer Center, Folds of Honor, and the Ronald McDonald House Charities are all charities that work hard to positively impact children. Whether these charities are providing medical care, scholarship opportunities, or a home away from home, these charities all have a common goal the LUV Classic donations will support—to make a difference in the lives of children.

Additionally, MD Anderson and Shriners Hospital for Children are both founding partners of Southwest Airlines Medical Transportation Grant Program, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary of providing travel to nonprofit hospitals and medical transportation organizations. "MD Anderson is honored to be a recipient of this year's annual LUV Classic," says Richard Gorlick, M.D., Division Head of MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital. "All funds will support critical research and programs in our Children's Cancer Hospital that aim to save the lives of children and young adults with cancer worldwide and minimize the impact on the patient and their families."

Supporting the Southwest Airlines Employees Catastrophic Assistance Charity

In addition to supporting deserving children's charities, money was also raised at the event to support the Southwest Airlines Employees Catastrophic Assistance Charity. This charity was started in 1990 and focuses on helping Southwest Employees suffering severe financial hardship from a catastrophic event in their lives. These events are typically emergency medical or personal circumstances, such as home and property damage from the recent natural disasters that impacted a large number of Southwest Employees. The money raised at the LUV Classic will help Southwest Employees as they look to rebuild their lives following these catastrophic events.

Supporting Dallas Designing Dreams

Participants in the LUV Classic golf tournament each received a golf club cover designed by the Dallas-based nonprofit, Dallas Designing Dreams. These unique gifts were created from upcycled Southwest Airlines airplane seat leather. Dallas Designing Dreams is supporting skills and training programs for youth, individuals with disabilities, senior citizens, and other populations in the community. The collaboration with Dallas Designing Dreams has produced a line of items such as the LUV Classic golf club covers, jewelry, backpacks, and luggage tags from the leather seat covers and old Southwest uniforms.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 47th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 55,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 115 million passengers annually, in recent years. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. During peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest has announced its intention to sell tickets in 2018 for service to Hawaii, subject to requisite governmental approvals.

Southwest coined Transfarency^® to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free^® to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply.

As launch customer of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in North America, the Company operates the largest fleet in the world of Boeing aircraft, all of which are equipped with satellite-based WiFi. Customers who connect to the WiFi network may use their personal devices to view on-demand movies and television shows, as well as nearly 20 channels of free, live TV.

With a bold new look first unveiled in 2014, Southwest is progressing through a multi-year refresh of its fleet to showcase the carrier's Heart: a new logo, aircraft livery, interior design featuring new seats, Employee-designed uniforms, and an updated airport experience, all of which showcase a dedication of Southwest Employees to connect Customers with what's important in their lives.

From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as "The Southwest Effect," a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With 44 consecutive years of profitability, Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2016 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at SouthwestOneReport.com.

Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest.com or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.