It was a morning in June 1996. The rain had stopped after several weeks of seemingly endless downpour and, on this, a day that Annie Hennigan will never forget, she had awakened before the birds. The 5-year-old, having been diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia four years earlier, was in remission and, along with her family, was going to Walt Disney World.
Annie’s trip had been orchestrated by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of gravely ill children. But the trip would not have been possible were it not for a group of unsung heroes who donate their frequent-flier miles to charity.
Through the generosity of mileage donors, free airline tickets can be provided to charities for which transportation may not have been available. Cynics might be tempted to argue that the mile donors are simply giving away something that was given to them for free. But, by giving up what might have meant a free vacation flight, the donors become heroes to all the Annie Hennigans in this world.
In the last few years, all of the major carriers that offer frequent-flier miles have established programs that allow those perks to be used by charities ranging from Make-A-Wish and Habitat for Humanity to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Salvation Army, United Way and the Special Olympics. Making the gift can easily be arranged by calling the frequent-flier account office at your airline.
“This is just a great way to be able to support your favorite charity,” said Jon Austin, spokesman for media relations at Northwest Airlines, which calls its program AirCares.
“To be honest, donating miles is not really much of a sacrifice on my part,” said Union Pacific railway worker Andy Hanahan of Glendale Heights. “I don’t earn enough miles for a free trip, so I may as well donate them to a pool where they will be put to good use before they expire.”
This is the attitude that makes dreams come true, according to Eileen Sweeney, manager of civic affairs for Elk Grove Township-based United Airlines.
“Our Charity Miles program gets donations from lots of people who say, `I only have 15,000 accrued miles–you may as well use them.’ And we also get donations from the very frequent traveler who can’t possibly use all of his or her miles.”
At most airlines, a frequent flier needs 25,000 miles to earn a free trip.
Generally, after the airlines collect the miles, they are dispersed among several charities’ accounts or given to a charity of the donor’s choosing.
Then the charity will use the free transportation for employees or volunteers who need to travel on business, or children requiring care or special attention.
For example, Habitat for Humanity uses the miles to fly volunteer site contractors to projects throughout the world.
Red Cross relief workers can fly to disaster areas. Sick children can go for medical treatment. Special Olympics athletes can participate in the event of a lifetime.
And, as in the case of Make-A-Wish Foundation, terminally ill children can realize a dream by taking a family vacation, often to Disney World.
Last year, the Make-A-Wish Foundation received more than 2,300 airline tickets through donated miles.
“We don’t ever find out who these individuals are who provide this wonderful gift of transportation for us,” said Christina Carmony, development associate at the foundation’s headquarters in Phoenix.
“In other situations,” Carmony said, “we have companies that we’ve been associated with. One particular organization in the Chicago area has contributed nearly a million miles.”
Ed Boyle, communications coordinator for that organization, the Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, a trade group that has been involved in the program for 1 1/2 years, said one member donated more than 100,000 miles.
“A lot of our members travel on business, and this is a way for them to be able to give something back to those who need it. The idea came from our organization’s president-elect, Suzanne Zaccone, who is the president of Graphic Solutions in Burr Ridge.”
Zaccone said her idea was a response to her loved ones’ good health.
“I have several healthy nieces and nephews and godchildren. But I also have a group of friends who have children that are not healthy, and I’ve seen the effect that this has on a family,” she said.
“Some of these children who are so ill are like little adults in miniature bodies. They’re here on Earth for a short time, but they’re here to teach us something. But the bottom line is, they’re still kids, and as kids they want to have fun. Our goal is to do anything we can to help them make some dreams come true.”
“I don’t think that people who donate their miles have any idea how much their donation means to a family whose child has been so ill,” said Cathy Hennigan, Annie’s mother.
“A child’s illness drains an entire family, and just to be able to get away together to do something fun is so wonderful.”
Hennigan said her family would never have been able to enjoy a Disney trip had it not been for the program.
“Our two little girls smiled the whole time we were there, and I cried several times,” recalled Hennigan, of Naperville.
“After having been through four very difficult years, we were celebrating. We were watching the fireworks at Disney World, and Tinkerbell flew across the sky.
“Our girls will never, ever forget that. And I,” she added, “will never forget the fact that there are people out there who care enough to do all that they did for us.”
