WestJet supports Alberta Flood Aid concert

Airline's ongoing flood aid includes flight voucher for Twitter contest

CALGARY, Aug. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - WestJet is pleased to support Alberta Flood Aid at McMahon Stadium this week by flying participating musicians, their bands and crews to Calgary and assisting with social media fundraising efforts. All ticket proceeds from the concert go to The Calgary Foundation's Flood Rebuilding Fund in support of long-term community rebuilding efforts in Calgary, High River, Canmore and nearby First Nation reserves.

WestJet will use its social media team and the power of more than 650,000 WestJet Facebook fans and Twitter followers to post content and photos of pre-concert events, activities and the Alberta Flood Aid concert that runs from 6 to 10 p.m. MDT on Thursday August 15, 2013.

The airline will also donate a round-trip flight for two as the grand prize for a contest on Twitter; the more users donate, the greater the prize becomes. To win, users must tweet about the event using the hashtag #BootsOn Thursday between 2 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. MDT. On Friday, the name of one Twitter user will be randomly drawn from all tweets.

WestJet's gift of flight will increase in value as more text-to-give donations are received through-out the contest. The voucher will be redeemable for flights within Canada if the total amount raised is below $9,999. If the total is between $10,000 and $24,999, the voucher will be good for either Canada or the United States. If more than $25,000 is raised, the winner will be able to use it to fly to any of WestJet's 87 destinations in 18 countries.

To donate $10 to The Calgary Foundations' Flood Rebuilding Fund, text ABFLOOD to 20222.

"The concert is a tremendous way for southern Albertans and indeed all Canadians to celebrate the spirit and tenacity of those who endured the floods as well as those who came to help," said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. "We are very pleased to support these fundraisers and, as the recovery continues in the months and years to come, encourage Canadians to do the same."

For more information on Alberta Flood Aid, please visit www.abfloodaid.ca

WestJet's flood aid assistance to date includes:

• 600 one-way flights donated to the Canadian Red Cross for disaster response volunteers and employees, with an additional 96 one-way flights given to Canada Task Force 1 and 2 to bring search and rescue members to Calgary
• $25,000 corporate donation to the Canadian Red Cross with an additional $55,300 donated by WestJetters
• WestJet Cargo flew 18,000 pounds of supplies to Calgary from the Canadian Red Cross in Toronto and relief agencies in Kelowna
• WestJet Cargo assisted the Calgary Zoo with the relocation of 29 animals whose living quarters were ruined during the flood
• Partnered with the Calgary Stampede to promote their Hell or High Water campaign by purchasing 1,000 T-shirts that were worn by YYC airport WestJetters and flight crews on Friday, July 5
• Ongoing donations of gift of flight vouchers to support fundraising efforts
• Sponsored the Halo High Water and Alberta Flood Aid benefit concerts

About WestJet

WestJet is Canada's most preferred airline, offering scheduled service to 87 destinations in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Powered by an award-winning culture of care, WestJet pioneered low-cost flying in Canada. Recognized nationally as a top employer, WestJet now has more than 9,000 WestJetters across Canada. Operating a fleet of more than 100 Boeing Next-Generation 737 and Bombardier Q400 NextGen aircraft, WestJet strives to be one of the five most successful international airlines in the world. This year, WestJet launched its new regional airline, WestJet Encore.

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SOURCE: WestJet