News Releases
Blue Santa visits the Dominican Republic to share a Canadian Christmas
CALGARY, Dec. 1, 2014 /CNW/ - WestJet today celebrates the release of the airline's third annual holiday video, WestJet Christmas Miracle: Spirit of Giving, showing how WestJet and its now-famous Blue Santa brought a snowy Canadian Christmas to a community in the Dominican Republic.
Since 2012, WestJet and Live Different – a Canadian charity that works with volunteers on development projects abroad – have built 23 homes for families living in extreme poverty in the Puerto Plata community of Nuevo Renacer, one of four destinations WestJet serves in the Dominican Republic. The airline's history with and commitment to Nuevo Renacer led to its decision to share the Christmas spirit with local residents in a way they will never forget.
"The WestJet holiday video has become a tradition for us, an opportunity for WestJetters to enrich lives through our fun and caring culture," said Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Sales Marketing and Guest Experience. "Having shared the holiday spirit last year with our guests in Toronto, Hamilton and Calgary that resulted in the more than 36 million views of the video in every country around the world, we decided to celebrate Christmas this year with a community that is near and dear to our hearts. This was our chance to give the people of Nuevo Renacer a once-in-a-lifetime experience – a Canadian Christmas."
Last month, 20 WestJetters travelled to Nuevo Renacer to work alongside Live Different and 40 local residents to secretly create the 2014 WestJet Christmas Miracle: Spirit of Giving video. Once again this year, multiple hidden cameras were used to capture the experience.
"Bringing the spirit of Christmas to this community was an extraordinary idea that took extraordinary effort," said Charles Roberts, Executive Director of Live Different. "WestJet's genuine desire to enrich the lives of those in the WestJet world extends to this community too. Providing a memorable and fun experience that celebrates the spirit of Christmas with no strings attached, is something that WestJet did with excellence and careful consideration. We are thrilled to have a partner who shares a deep conviction to value and care for people as their first priority."
To view details on WestJet's partnership with Live Different, please see our news release.
To view the 2014 WestJet Christmas Miracle: Spirit of Giving video, please visit http://youtu.be/p-BKX3G0BpQ .
About Live Different
Live Different is a Canadian charity that exists to embrace and inspire a lifestyle that cares for people, not stuff. Live Different accomplishes this by providing experiential programs that engage lives on a personal level. These strategically linked programs include high school motivational presentations, which have impacted over 1.1 million students; international volunteer trips, which gives volunteers the opportunity to assist in development projects in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Thailand; and the Live Different Academy, a gap-year program where young adults are mentored, gain cross-cultural experience, and are transformed in their thinking, their actions, and their focus for the future.
For more information or to find out how to participate in their programs, contact 1-866-432-4464 or visit www.livedifferent.com
About WestJet
We are proud to be Canada's most-preferred airline, powered by an award-winning culture of care and recognized as one of the country's top employers. We offer scheduled service to more than 90 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. Through our regional airline, WestJet Encore, and with partnerships with airlines representing every major region of the world, we offer our guests more than 120 destinations in more than 20 countries. Leveraging WestJet's extensive network, flight schedule and remarkable guest experience, WestJet Vacations delivers affordable, flexible travel experiences with a variety of accommodation options for every guest. Members of our WestJet Rewards program earn WestJet dollars on flights, vacation packages and more. Our members use WestJet dollars towards the purchase of WestJet flights and vacations packages on any day, at any time, to any WestJet destination with no blackout periods – even on seat sales. For more information about everything WestJet, please visit westjet.com.
Recent recognition includes:
2015 Best Employers in Canada (Aon Hewitt)
2014 Canada's Passion Capitalist (Knightsbridge, Richardson GMP)
2014 Interbrand Canada's Best Canadian Brands (Rank #20)
2014 Brands of the Year (Strategy magazine)
2014 Canada's Most Preferred Airline (Ipsos)
2014 Value Airline of the Year (Air Transport World magazine)
2014/2013/2012 Canada's Most Attractive Employer (Randstad)
2014/2013 WestJet RBC MasterCard ranked #1 in Canada (Money Sense magazine and RewardsCanada.ca)
2013 Highest equity score: airline, vacation package supplier brands (Harris/Decima EquiTrend Study)
Connect with WestJet on Facebook at facebook.com/westjet
Follow WestJet on Twitter at twitter.com/westjet
Subscribe to WestJet on YouTube at youtube.com/westjet
Read the WestJet blog at blog.westjet.com
SOURCE WestJet
Video with caption: "Video: WestJet Christmas Miracle: Spirit of Giving". Video available at: http://youtu.be/p-BKX3G0BpQ
