TORONTO, March 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sunwing Foundation has launched the Flying Start initiative to provide students at local schools across the destinations served by the travel company with all the essential tools and building blocks for a successful education. The program collects new and gently-used books and Sunwing Airlines flies them down to schools in need of such materials, together with backpacks filled with stationery and other essential supplies for learning.
The first phase of Flying Start will involve the collection of gently-used and new children’s books at the 2018 National Home Show, taking place March 9-18 at Toronto’s Enercare Centre. As an incentive for attendees to donate, they will receive $2 off a regular priced, general admission ticket. Once collected, the books will be flown to the Caribbean via Sunwing Airlines and given to students at selected schools across the region.
“The Sunwing Foundation is committed to supporting youth and education projects in the destinations that we serve,” says Stephen Hunter, CEO of Sunwing Travel Group. “The timing of this campaign over March Break – when families often have extra time together - could not be better. Being able to establish a book collection at home and go to school with all the essentials needed for a successful education is a luxury not everyone gets.”
The launch of the initiative follows a number of projects undertaken by the foundation which is supported by a spare change program on board Sunwing Airlines. All donations received are match funded by Sunwing Travel Group who pass on 100% of donated funds to the charities in need. The Sunwing Foundation constructed a school in Jamaica in partnership with Food for the Poor Canada in 2015. More recently the foundation has partnered with Books Give Us Wings to deliver several hundreds of donated books to local schools in Jamaica and assisted GlobalMedic with the transportation of humanitarian aid following the impact of Hurricane Irma. The foundation has also made a significant contribution towards the major renovation project for Castries Comprehensive Secondary School in St Lucia that is scheduled for completion later this month.
For more information on the Flying Start program please visit www.sunwingfoundation.com.
About The Sunwing Foundation
A charitable initiative established by the Hunter family, the Sunwing Foundation reflects the Sunwing Travel Group’s enduring commitment to the support and development of youth in the communities where it operates in the form of project funding or the transport of humanitarian aid. The Sunwing Foundation passes on 100% of the charitable donations it raises to the communities that need it the most, funding educational and skills development projects to provide a direct, impactful, and sustainable improvement to quality of life for years to come.
For all media enquiries, please contact:
Rachel Goldrick
Senior Corporate Communications Manager
Sunwing Vacations
1-800-387-5602 | media@sunwing.ca
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/582f2a0b-c718-4e76-b529-2c2cfb02bd11