WestJet world comes together to perform nearly 32,000 mini miracles

CALGARY, Dec. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - The fourth installment of WestJet's Christmas miracles campaign took the spirit of giving to new heights Wednesday, as WestJetters and citizens around the world recorded nearly 32,000 random acts of kindness as part of the airline's 12,000 mini miracles day.

Spanning 24 hours from midnight Tuesday, mini miracles streamed into a dedicated command centre at the WestJet campus from as far away as Paris, London, Australia, New York, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Hawaii. WestJetters and members of the public contributed to food drives, donated blood, shoveled sidewalks, cut off hair for cancer, collected clothing for charities and needy individuals, brought coffee and baking to fire stations, plugged parking meters, and much more.

"We are humbled and overwhelmed by the response to our 12,000 mini miracles day," said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Marketing and Communications. "We have always been inspired by the generosity and kindness shown by WestJetters and our fellow citizens. Today was no exception. The way people went out of their way to do something special for someone else and enrich lives in their own communities was truly heartwarming. We take our blue Santa hats off to everyone who took the time to take part."

Leading the charge was WestJet's own blue Santa, travelling by WestJet Connect equipped Boeing 737NG from Halifax to Toronto, Calgary, Yellowknife and Vancouver, performing special mini miracles that included:

• Surprising a deserving family in Truro, N.S. with a 10-day, all-expenses paid trip to Walt Disney World.
• Inviting a pair of students from Bermuda to the top of the CN Tower and surprising them with a pair of flight vouchers to get back to the home they don't often get to visit.
• Piloting a dogsled on a cold winter's night to deliver toys, pet food and bedding to the Yellowknife SPCA.
• Gifting the children of Ronald McDonald House BC with toys and goodies from his sleigh (er, limousine bus).

In the days ahead, WestJet will compile the thousands of images and videos received Wednesday and create its fourth Christmas miracle video for release on December 16.

About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's highest-rated airline for customer service, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to 100 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Through our regional airline, WestJet Encore, and with partnerships with airlines representing every major region of the world, we offer our guests more than 150 destinations in more than 20 countries. Leveraging WestJet's extensive network, flight schedule and remarkable guest experience, WestJet Vacations delivers affordable, flexible travel experiences with a variety of accommodation options for every guest. Members of our WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. Our members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of WestJet flights and vacations packages on any day, at any time, to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods  ̶  even on seat sales. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.

Recent recognition includes:
2015/2011/2008-2005 Canada's 10 Most-Admired Corporate Cultures (Waterstone Human Capital)
2015/2014/2013/2012 Canada's Most Attractive Employer (Randstad)
2015/2014/2013/2012 Top three brands in Canada (Canadian Business magazine)
2015 Best Employers in Canada (Aon Hewitt)
2015/2014/2013 WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (MoneySense magazine)
2015/2014/2013 WestJet RBC World Elite MasterCard ranked #1 in the Canada's Choice ranking (RewardsCanada.ca)
2014 Interbrand Canada's Best Canadian Brands (rank #20)
2014 Brands of the Year (Strategy magazine)
2014 Canada's Most Preferred Airline (Ipsos)
2014 Value Airline of the Year (Air Transport World magazine)
2014/2013/2012/2011 Highest equity score: airline, vacation package supplier brands (Harris/Decima EquiTrend Study)

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SOURCE WestJet