NOVEMBER 15 2009
AMERICANWAY 105
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YourGuidetoAmericanAirlines
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BelieveinSomethingmAAgic
Publicservice isa tradition for thepeopleofAmericanAirlines,American
Eagle, and theAmericanAirlinesFederal CreditUnion (AAFCU), and the
Something mAAgic Foundation is a great example of how compassion
and commitment can create change that benefitsmany.
TheMission
The Something mAAgic Foundation is a nonprofit organization com-
prisedof volunteerswhoarecurrent and formeremployeesofAmerican
Airlines,AmericanEagle,and theAAFCU.Wesupport themissionofGive
Kids theWorldVillageandotherchildren’sorganizations tocreatemagi-
calmemories for childrenwith life-threateningmedical conditions.
TheHistory
SomethingmAAgicwas created inAugust 1996when a group of friends
at American recognized an opportunity for a grassroots campaign to
support the Make-A-Wish Foundation. AA is a longtime supporter of
Wish kids, and the founders of SomethingmAAgic believed they could
assist the corporate effort by organizing volunteers in cities served by
AmericanAirlinesandAmericanEagle.
ByOctober 1996, “mAAgic teams”were formed in12cities.Members
of each team launchedasimplesolicitation for funds, raising$10,000 in
amatter of weeks and sending 12 children to Orlando, Florida, to visit
the world-famous theme parks located there. Since then, Something
mAAgichasexpanded itsnetworkof volunteersandhelpedprovidehun-
dredsofwishes for children fromall over theworld.
The group also lends support to the Give Kids the World Village in
Florida, a 70-acre nonprofit fantasyland resort where children can ex-
perience an inclusive playground that allows childrenwith and without
disabilities toplay together inanaccessibleenvironment.
WishFlight
WishFlight, the foundation’sannualmarqueeevent, fulfills thewishesof
children with life-threateningmedical conditions who want to travel to
Orlando’s local themeparks. Theexperiencebeginswithacelebrationat
each child’s departure-city airport— 32 cities are scheduled for flights
in 2009, including the event inMiami, pictured above— and arrivals in
Orlando aremet with fanfare. A party at Give Kids theWorld Village is
given for over 100 families.
TheGrowth
Themissiongrowseachyear. InOctober2008,WishFlight2008hosted32
kidsand their familieson the tripof a lifetime.More than800 volunteers
in cities across the American Airlines and American Eagle networks
came together tomakeWishFlight 2008 a success. Over $100,000 was
raised and granted to children’s organizations in 2008. To date, more
than $1,500,000 cash and in-kind donations have been raised to fund
WishFlight and wish enhancements for children in Canada, Europe,
Mexico, LatinAmerica, and theUnitedStates.
AnUpdate
In January 2009, theSomethingmAAgic Foundationdecided to broaden
itsmission to support additional wish-granting organizations and other
foundations that enrich the lives of seriously ill children and their fam-
ilies. As a result, this year the foundation will also support A Special
WishandDreamFactory. InMarch2009, a villa fundedby theSomething
mAAgicFoundationopenedandwill provideaccommodations for anad-
ditional 52 families at Give Kids the World Village each year. To learn
moreabout SomethingmAAgic, visitwww.somethingmaagic.org.
Miles forKids inNeed
For20years,Americanand itscustomershavebeenprovidingsupport for
children and their families through theMiles for Kids inNeed program.
In addition to the onemillion AAdvantagemiles we donate to Miles for
Kids inNeed each year, AAdvantagemembers can donate theirmiles to
provide transportation for a variety of purposes related to thewell-being
of childrenand their families.Beneficiaries include individualsaswell as
organizations thathavemedical,educational,andsocialneeds.Bydonat-
ingmiles, AAdvantagemembers play amajor role in helping American
support some of the world’s foremost organizations dedicated to chil-
dren. The benefits of thesemiles have extended far beyond AAdvantage
members with the inception of theMiles for Kids inNeed program. For
moredetailsand to learnhow youcanhelp, visitwww.aa.com/kids.
