Delta Pilots Donate Playroom to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children

ORLANDO, Fla., March 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Delta Pilots' Charitable Fund (DPCF) will present a donation of $150,000 to the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation to equip a playroom in the Congenital Heart Unit of the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. The donation will provide for a fully outfitted play area in this state-of-the-art healthcare facility dedicated to the care of children in the Southeast.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100325/DC76935)

The Delta Pilots Charitable Fund, the first and only charitable fund established, managed, and funded entirely by pilots of a major U.S. airline, was formed in 1999 as a philanthropic, tax-exempt 501(c) (3) fund that supports charitable activities and leaves a permanent legacy for future generations in communities where Delta's pilots live and work.  With this donation, the DPCF has donated almost $1 million to a variety of charities that help America's most valuable resource – our children. The DPCF is committed to investing time and money in partnerships with organizations, such as the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, to enrich, and improve the lives of children in need.

DPCF Chairman, Delta First Officer Joe Houseman, stated, "The Delta pilots are a concerned, community-active and generous group. This contribution is especially exciting in that, with this gift, the playroom will provide an enjoyable environment for children and their families for many years to come."

Houseman, DPCF Board members and members of the Delta Master Executive Council of the Air Lines Pilots Association visited the hospital Wednesday evening, distributing stuffed "pilot" bears to children.  The check will be presented to Arnold Palmer at the Bay Hill Invitational Tournament, a Professional Golf Association tour event hosted by Palmer.

Captain Lee Moak, Chairman of the Delta MEC, was among those visiting patients, "In our profession we regularly deal with stress and critical decisions, but I do not have adequate words to describe the stress that childhood illness brings to children and their loved ones. I hope that our donation can provide a few moments of joy during the anxious days of a child's hospital stay. It is truly an honor for The Delta Pilots Charitable Fund, on behalf of the Delta pilots to make this donation to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children."

"We are excited that the Delta Pilots Charitable Fund has chosen to make this gift to the newly renovated Pediatric Cardiovascular ICU unit.  For many years, Delta and their pilots have been a big part of the Orlando community.  Their support for Arnold Palmer Hospital is going to have a tremendous impact on the lives of the children we serve who deal with congenital heart disease," added Chad Phillips, Vice President, Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation.

AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1931, ALPA represents 53,000 pilots at 38 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. ALPA represents over 12,000 Delta pilots. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org, the Delta MEC website at www.deltapilots.org.

ARNOLD PALMER HOSPITAL for CHILDREN

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 158-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Located in Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, emergency and trauma care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. Visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com  to learn more about all of our specialties.

SOURCE Air Line Pilots Association