Southwest Airlines Celebrates 40 Years of Service With 40 Conservation Projects Coast-to-Coast

DALLAS, June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of its 40th Anniversary, Southwest Airlines is teaming up with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) for the Conservation In Action Tour: 40 Projects for 40 Years to take their commitment to volunteerism and their passion for conservation on the road, literally!

Students from the SCA will travel from coast to coast in a custom-designed Southwest Airlines biodiesel RV.  During the summer-long tour, the RV will stop in 25 cities, joining Southwest Employees and community members in conservation projects across the country.

"This is the perfect way to celebrate our 40th Anniversary," said Southwest Airlines Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO Gary Kelly.  "Volunteering and giving back is something that our People do year round.  It's our way of saying thank you to the communities that have given so much to us!"

The tour officially kicks off today, in the airline's hometown of Dallas.  More than 700 Southwest Employees from all across the system will take part in conservation projects at the Texas Trees Foundation, Trinity River Audubon Center, and Rochester Park.  

"SCA is proud to join Southwest Airlines in spreading the word and the practice of hands-on conservation," said SCA President Dale M. Penny.  "These projects will generate immediate benefits to the communities we visit, and in the long-term they will promote ongoing stewardship and sustainability.  That's a real win-win for all."

SCA is a nonprofit organization that provides individuals aged 15-25 with hands-on conservation service opportunities.  Their members protect and restore national parks, marine sanctuaries, cultural landmarks, and community green spaces in all 50 states.

Contributing sponsors for the tour, American Eagle Outfitters, Sony Corporation, and The Coca-Cola Company, join Southwest Airlines to help SCA build the next generation of conservation leaders and its quest to protect and restore America's parks, forests, and urban green spaces. 

To view the Conservation In Action Tour schedule, visit southwest.com/Tour40.

About SCA

The Student Conservation Association (SCA) is the only national organization that develops tomorrow's conservation leaders by providing high school and college students with conservation service opportunities in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests.  Since 1957, SCA's hands-on practice of conservation service has helped to develop new generations of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet.  SCA is a non-profit headquartered in Charlestown, NH and maintains regional offices in Boise, ID, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C.  For more, visit thesca.org. 

About Southwest Airlines Co.  

In its 40th year of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carrier offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has recently acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 72 cities in 37 states and is one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/citizenship to read the Southwest Airlines One Report. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,400 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees systemwide.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines