Southwest Airlines Flies More than 350 High School Students to Washington, D.C., as Part of the Congressional Art Competition
Students’ Award-Winning Artwork Displayed in the Nation’s Capitol Building
DALLAS—July 22, 2014—Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) proudly shows its dedication to education and the arts through its ongoing support of the Congressional Art Competition, an annual, nationwide visual art competition hosted by the Congressional Institute.
Southwest Airlines sponsored the Congressional Art Competition for the 13th consecutive year. In 2014, 370 congressional offices participated in the Congressional Art Competition, designed to encourage and celebrate artistic talent among youth.
In addition to the more than 350 students who received complimentary airfare to Washington, D.C., Southwest Airlines donated airfare for guardian guests to accompany the students to the Capitol, totaling more than 700 roundtrip ticket donations. Winning students who live in cities without convenient service to D.C. or the surrounding area were awarded alternate grand prizes.
“Southwest Airlines is proud of our continued support of the Congressional Art Competition,” said Linda Rutherford, Southwest Airlines’ Vice President, Communication & Outreach. “Traveling to D.C. to view their artwork hanging at the Capitol is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students, some of whom had never traveled on an airplane. This is a great honor for these students, and we hope it motivates them to continue to pursue their promising artistic talent.”
For the personal story of one of last year’s winning students, please visit: NUTS About Southwest.
ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.
In its 44th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 45,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Based on the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Southwest is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The airline also operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 93 destinations in 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near-international countries. Some flights are operated by wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2013 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at southwest.com/citizenship.
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