Published on June 18th, 2017 | by Alyssa Daniells
This WestJet Father’s Day gift will make even the toughest Dad cry.
Oh WestJet. It’s not just your fleet of aircraft that soars.
You make our hearts soar, too.
Those fine folk at Canada’s second-largest carrier have done it again, with the latest in their series of incredibly powerful, memorable promotions.
Previous ones tied into heartfelt holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas.
The airline’s latest real-life story coincides with Father’s Day. WestJet teamed up with Ronald McDonald House, a charity that provides a home away from home for families whose children are undergoing medical treatment.
The Ronald McDonald House, Toronto, ON. Thousands of grateful families served.
Over 70% of Canadian children do not live near a paediatric hospital, so when specialized or long-term care is needed, their families must be uprooted, often provinces away.
This was the case of the Hunt family, of Clarenville, Newfoundland. When 13-year old Darian Hunt was diagnosed with leukemia, he and his parents were on the next plane, at the urgency of his doctor, to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. They made the tough decision to let his little sister stay home with a guardian, to allow her to maintain as normal a life as possible. A two-month absence was gut-wrenching for the entire family, as was Darian’s diagnosis.
The Hunts also left their extended family, which is what Darian and his father, Troy, call their hockey teammates. Troy coached Darian’s team and both the Hunt men missed their hockey family profoundly. The feeling was mutual, as Troy and Darian’s absences from the team left a big gap.
While Ronald McDonald House provided shelter and a supportive envrionment, WestJet did what any caring, thoughtful, generous company would do — actually, what are we saying, they went above and beyond.
Watch the featured WestJet Father’s Day video to find out!
(Spoiler alert: thanks to WestJet, Darian had a welcome respite from his treatments when his entire hockey team flew from Newfoundland, to Toronto, to cheer their teammate on. Don’t miss Trent’s reaction when he sees his daughter for the first time in two months.)
Troy Hunt seeing his daughter for the first time in months.
Thank you WestJet for reminding us that not all kids may be playing hockey with their dads this Father’s Day, and that human kindness gives us the strength to keep spreading our wings.
This story especially touches our hearts here are Flight Centre, as children’s charities are near and dear to us.
WestJet’s promotions are more than gimmicky online ads. They leave an inedible mark on the viewer and the people whom they base the promotion around. If you’re interested in seeing more, check out the videos below.
And for those of you who are near their Dads for a hug, make sure you give them one today.
Happy Father’s Day from Flight Centre.
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Whether you’re looking to give Dad the gift of travel, or visiting him from far away, talk to the Airfare Experts first. Book online, call us at 1 877 967 5302 or visit us in-store.
About the Author
Alyssa Daniells Equipped with good grammar, a laptop and sense of humour, Alyssa curiously explores the world, whether it involves traversing oceans to anything historic, artistic or beautiful, or crossing the street for a dark roasted coffee refuel. Curating and creating compelling content (and the occasional alliteration!) is something she loves. Her phone storage is almost at capacity due to countless photos of Toronto, her toddler and other people's pets.
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