This year, Hawaiian Airlines marks its fourth annual Giving Tuesday celebration, the global holiday for giving and an opportunity for loyalty members to help Hawaiʻi nonprofits that rely on air travel to provide critical services statewide.
Tomorrow, Hawaiʻi’s hometown carrier is inviting HawaiianMiles members to support important causes by donating their miles to one (or more) of its 14 local charity partners.
Need more convincing? The carrier will match up to 100,000 miles donated on Giving Tuesday (in addition to its 500,000 miles annual match) for each charity – making an additional commitment of 1.4 million miles.
Double the Miles = Double the Reason to Give
Hawaiian Airlines launched its HawaiianMiles Charity Program in 2006 to connect members with organizations that protect and preserve all that makes Hawaiʻi special. Kanani Kealoha-Faleafine, a senior loyalty manager who helped launch Giving Tuesday at Hawaiian Airlines in 2018, emphasized that even a small donation goes a long way.
“The HawaiianMiles Charity Program helped establish another avenue to support Hawaiʻi’s nonprofit organizations – and Giving Tuesday put those giving efforts on a global stage,” said Kealoha-Faleafine. “Our participating charities have a continuous need to travel statewide to deliver essential services, ranging from life-saving medical treatment in rural communities to finding forever families for homeless pets.”
“With HawaiianMiles donations, we can showcase and spread the success in Hawaiʻi to other parts of the world that also face similar challenges,” said Manuel Mejia, regional program director of the Coral Reef Alliance – Hawaiian Islands, one of our partner charities. “By donating to us, you’re investing in a global strategy that helps coral reefs around the world.”
Giving Tuesday puts the HawaiianMiles Charity Program in the spotlight with double the incentive for members to donate, thanks to the company’s holiday match.
“There’s no reason not to donate on Giving Tuesday. Our members know that those miles go to a worthy cause and that the people behind these nonprofits appreciate it,” Kealoha-Faleafine added. "We are an island chain, and the only way for any organization to provide services across the state is to travel by plane. So, helping alleviate that financial burden from local nonprofits so they can deliver those services is a considerable benefit when monetary donations are harder to come by.”
“Donations from our community supporters allow us to truly change the lives of our keiki (children), and we are so grateful to Hawaiian Airlines and HawaiianMiles donors,” said Janice Knapp, director of development at Shriners Children's Hawaii. “We serve a wide range of children statewide and donated miles enable us to bring kids who could not afford to pay to travel throughout our hospital for specialized orthopedic treatment.”
Turning Nostalgia and Emotion into Impact and Action
The Hawaiian Islands hold a special place in people’s hearts worldwide, from those who visit its shores to those who call it home. To Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, director of community and cultural relations at Hawaiian Airlines, donating idle miles is a means to make a meaningful contribution to Hawaiʻi and perpetuate responsible travel.
“Whether a first-time or repeat visitor, a resident, or a family that moved away, Hawaiʻi leaves a special impression on just about everyone. Many folks leave Hawaiʻi with a personal connection to this place and the people,” she said. “Our HawaiianMiles Charity Program is a meaningful opportunity to remain connected and contribute tangibly and measurably.”
Nakanelua-Richards also likes to think of the work of the HawaiianMiles Charity Program as an opportunity for the airline to both give and receive.
“What we have to offer is extremely helpful, but it’s also reciprocal…these organizations teach us about the concerns of our island home; they help us grow. Many of our employees – including those who call Hawaiʻi home – are involved with these nonprofits in some capacity, whether as volunteers, board members, or beneficiaries of their help. Giving Tuesday is a means to give of yourself and the resources you have to organizations that do important, meaningful work in our community.”
“Animal welfare is a dynamic field with a lot to learn and stay on top of, so one of the things we use HawaiianMiles for is getting to conferences and networking events with our animal welfare peers,” said Stephanie Kendrick, director of community engagement at the Hawaiian Humane Society. “We also put together auction packages with HawaiianMiles and the money we raise from those packages is a huge help. We are very focused on the animals and people of Oʻahu and would welcome the community’s support.”