They’re back!
Twelve benevolent and big-hearted Flighties (as we affectionately call ourselves) recently returned from a week-long charity trip to Guatemala.
The group raised $35,000 for the Project Somos Children’s Village. This is an eco-sustainable educational community aiming to break the cycle of poverty in Guatemala, by providing quality education and healthy food to families in need. Volunteer responsibilities included spending time with the 30 children that attend the education and nutrition program. The team helped with food preparation, light construction and gardening.
Project Somos Children’s Village
As an education centre, the Village provides programming to at-risk children in the surrounding community. Project Somos also provides vocational training to the mothers, as well as parenting classes on topics like nutrition and hygiene.
The Flight Centre Foundation reflects our company’s profound commitment to corporate social responsibility. Our annual charity trip allows our people to give back to the places where we book sustainable travel, through life-changing work for all those involved.” – Allison Wallace, SVP Communication & Engagement.
This year’s fundraising amount goes toward helping provide a chance, and change, for some of the most disenfranchised, and most deserving, families in Guatemala. Each Flightie involved raised well over the $1,000 donation minimum requirement to participate in the charity trip. The trip also included tourism aspects; a visit to the Spanish Colonial town of Antigua, and an Urban Adventures tour of the local markets and coffee plantations. This taught the employees (many of whom are travel agents) more about the beautiful Central American destination.
As Toronto Group Travel Agent Carolyn Menard, sums up, “I am still in awe by this trip, the country and most of all, the Mayan children. What an unbelievable opportunity, to be surrounded by the gorgeous Guatemalan Mountains and incredible people! Thank you so much to Flight Centre and Allison Wallace for this once in a lifetime trip!”
Pictured (l-r), Caroline Everett, Tammy Asis, Mitch Jarvi, Carolyn Menard, Allison Wallace, DeeDee Sixto, Michelle MacMillan, Diana O’Connell, Viresh Prasad, Lindsay Smith, Greg Kemp (co-founder), Marla Ruiz (Somos staff), Heather Knox (co-founder).