Aggressive targets were set for the Give A Mile holiday campaign at the end of 2019. We were successful in awarding 49 flights and raising an additional 1.3 Million travel miles and cash donations that help us to pay taxes and fees.
That’s 49 flights that allowed terminally ill patients to build memories with families and friends. And our dedicated group of volunteers added another event to our fundraising roster: the Christmas Gala – Giving the Gift of Time.
Here is some feedback from Holiday flight recipients and families that truly demonstrates the difference that these flights of compassion can make:
“This is such a relief for our family. Thank you so much. We are so appreciative. What an amazing organization. Merry Christmas.â€
“Blaine traveled from Winnipeg to Vancouver as his father was critically ill in ICU. Unfortunately, his father died in hospital before he arrived. Blaine said that although he wasn’t there when his dad died, it was very important to be there to support his mother after the death. His parents were married 56 years, and he feels very concerned for her wellbeing. Blaine also met a niece that he hadn’t met before. He expressed gratitude and thanks to the flight donors.â€
“There are no words right now for me to even try to come up with to say how much this truly means to me. I had no other hope, Give A Mile was my last option. I’m so over the moon this evening thank you from the bottom of my heart.â€
“My time with my Dad was the best, and he knew who I was. I spent 6 hours with him every day. We had some laughs, and some cries. I got time to say goodbye. I was there when he passed. Thank you so much for extra time with my Dad.â€
“Yay!  Thank you so much everyone at Give A Mile!  This is a great help for us!â€
THANK YOU ALL!! As always, the success of Give A Mile’s special events and campaigns are fully dependent on the generosity of our donors and sponsors. We are immensely grateful for the corporate support from Points loyalty solutions, from Canada’s premier loyalty program aeroplan, and from Scotiabank banking and wealth management. A huge thank you also to our campaign Flight Hero Teams who sponsored specific stories, and to all who donated loyalty points to the general pool that fulfilled the other requests.
We have already held our 2020 Planning Session and set goals to help more loved ones share final farewell and create lasting memories. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to see year ‘round updates and flight stories. A 100% volunteer-driven organization, Give A Mile could not work without the help of others. We want to award as many flights as possible this year, so even if you’re just posting a message about us, we are grateful.