JetBlue Continues to Rebuild New York Communities Impacted By Hurricane Sandy With Sixth Annual "One Thing That's Green" Campaign

NEW YORK, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), New York's Hometown Airline™, today announces its Sixth Annual "One Thing That's Green" (OTTG) campaign, the first major tree planting in New York since Hurricane Sandy. JetBlue is partnering with New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and its MillionTreesNYC initiative to plant more than 2,400 trees, remove trash and complete beautification projects in Highland Park, an area identified by the New York City Parks Department as a priority location for revitalization efforts. Over 30,000 trees were lost throughout New York City as a result of Hurricane Sandy. This tree planting event is an important step in rebuilding the city's tree canopy.

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This year's One Thing That's Green campaign is dedicated to rebuilding New York and its communities. Highland Park borders both Queens and Brooklyn and for over a century has been a recreational space for residents in the under-resourced communities of Bushwick and East New York.  Due to Hurricane Sandy, the 100-acre park lost a significant stretch of trees. The park also had extensive debris and obstructed pathways. 

Since Hurricane Sandy, JetBlue has coordinated several efforts to provide assistance to its neighbors and help rebuild communities in the tri-state area. In the days following the storm, JetBlue partnered with the NYC Food Truck Association to serve more than 25,000 meals to residents throughout lower Manhattan, the Rockaways, Staten Island, and Hoboken. Additionally, during the month of November the airline encouraged customers to donate to the American Red Cross through its JetBlue Gives site. JetBlue matched the first $100,000 in donations and on behalf of its customers donated $820,000 for relief efforts in the New York area. 

"As New York's hometown airline, it is our responsibility to help bring the community back to life. We feel compelled to revitalize areas that were impacted by Sandy and provide our neighbors with access to vibrant, green spaces," said Icema Gibbs, director corporate social responsibility, JetBlue Airways. "Since 2008, our One Thing That's Green campaign has played a small part in creating a healthier planet. We've planted 1,333 trees and cleaned up nearly three tons of trash throughout New York City in an effort to improve air quality. These trees will remove 34,658 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the course of their lives. This year, we will plant more than 2,400 trees and literally breathe new life into a community that was impacted by Hurricane Sandy."

Crewmembers, customers and neighbors can register at www.jetblue.com/trees to participate on Saturday, April 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Highland Park. Local Clear Channel radio stations are also helping to spread the word.  Z100's Greg T and 103.5 KTU's Paul "Cubby" Bryant will host the opening ceremony and Power 105.1's DJ Whutevva will join volunteers in the afternoon to help plant more than 2,400 trees. Volunteers will also participate in tree planting training, beautification projects and family-friendly entertainment.

Those not able to participate in the New York tree planting event can visit www.jetblue.com/pledge now through April 30 to show how they're going green by uploading a picture of their green act. Both onboard and online, Amy Heidemann and Nick Louis Noonan of the famed pop duo Karmin can be seen in a PSA encouraging viewers to make a green pledge and highlighting small changes that have a positive impact on the planet. Participants that share their photo will be entered for a chance to win great prizes, including a Ford C-Max Hybrid, a kitchen makeover from Amana, flights anywhere JetBlue flies, and more. (a) For every submission, JetBlue will plant one tree (up to 25,000 trees) through Carbonfund.org.

"New York Restoration Project is proud to partner with JetBlue in hosting this ambitious, large-scale effort to put thousands of trees in the ground," said Amy Freitag, executive director, New York Restoration Project. "Hundreds of volunteers coming together for the sixth annual event, to clean and green NYC, is an important stepping stone for increasing our urban canopy, especially in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, with the city having lost 30,000 trees."

"On behalf of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, I'd like to thank NYRP for its dedication to planting trees and beautifying NYC's landscape all year round," said Veronica M. White, commissioner, New York City department of parks & recreation. "I'd also like to thank JetBlue for sponsoring this event and the hundreds of volunteers who will come out to help in greening Highland Park."

Created by JetBlue to encourage a healthier planet, the One Thing That's Green annual campaign highlights the airline's commitment to environmentalism and giving back in the communities it serves. The day-long event will take place rain or shine and will include giveaways, complimentary breakfast and lunch and family-fun activities. For generously volunteering their time, all registrants are automatically entered for a chance to win two round-trip flights anywhere across the JetBlue network. (b) Over the past five years as part of the One Thing That's Green initiative, nearly 2,000 JetBlue crewmembers and community volunteers have planted more than 1,200 trees and cleaned nearly three tons of trash in areas including in East Harlem, Forest Hills, Jamaica, and Long Island City, Queens.

About MillionTreesNYC
MillionTreesNYC is a public-private partnership between NYRP and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation through which one million new trees will be planted and cared for across NYC's five boroughs by 2017. Composed of more than five million trees and 168 species, New York City's urban forest is one of the most valuable environmental assets along the East Coast, and a critical component of the city's long-term health and sustainability. Trees provide numerous quality-of-life benefits, including cooling our streets and sidewalks, cleaning air and water, and providing wildlife habitat. New Yorkers can visit the program's site, www.milliontreesnyc.org, to learn more about how they can contribute by planting a tree, adopting a tree, or making a donation to the initiative.

About New York Restoration Project
Founded by Bette Midler in 1995, New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming open space in underserved communities to create a greener, more sustainable New York City. Unlike traditional conservancies that care for a specific place, NYRP is the only New York City conservancy that works citywide, bringing private resources to spaces that lack adequate municipal support. NYRP is also the leading private partner to the City of New York in MillionTreesNYC – an initiative to plant and care for one million new trees throughout New York City's five boroughs by 2017. To learn more, please visit www.nyrp.org.

About JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline™ with other focus cities in Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Juan and Orlando. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) as well as super-spacious Even More Space seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 76 cities with 800 daily flights and plans to launch service later this year to Albuquerque, New Mexico; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Worcester, MA and Medellin, Colombia. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information call +1 800-538-2583 (TTY/TDD +1 800-336-5530) from the USA, or visit www.jetblue.com.

a.)   No purchase necessary to enter or receive a prize. Sweepstakes begins at 12:00:01 a.m. ET on April 1, 2013 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on April 30, 2013. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, outside the U.S. and where prohibited and restricted by law. See Official Rules at jetblue.com/pledge for details.

b.)   No purchase necessary to enter or receive a prize. Sweepstakes begins at 12:00:01 a.m. ET on March 26, 2013 and ends when a total of 1,800 volunteers have registered, or at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on April 19, 2013, whichever occurs first. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years or older at the time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, outside the U.S. and where prohibited and restricted by law. See Official Rules at jetblue.com/trees for details.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways