easyJet, a UK-based airline, has organised a midnight runway run at the airline’s biggest base – London Gatwick Airport – to raise money for UNICEF, a charitable organisation that works for children and their rights.
One hundred and fifty of easyJet’s staff, including cabin crew, pilots, office and engineering team members, volunteered for a moonlit runway run at midnight on Monday, September 30. All the participants wore UNICEF T- shirts and completed the 3.3km run in aid of UNICEF’s ‘Change for Good’ campaign. Gatwick’s runway number 2 6 L was closed especially for the fundraising event, which raised over GBP4,500 to provide vaccinations to protect 11,250 children.
Jason Holt, easyJet’s head of Gatwick, said: ‘We’re delighted that so many of the easyJet team gathered together to complete the midnight Runway Run and raise money for UNICEF’s Change for Good appeal.
‘We’re so proud to be supporting such a worthy cause and the enthusiasm and team spirit of all involved has been tremendous – even at 2am! More than GBP4,500 has been raised through this event alone and I’d like to thank the Gatwick Airport team for enabling this unique charity run to take place, and everybody who took part for their support. We’re making a real difference to the lives of millions of children around the world.’
UNICEF UK executive director, David Bull, said: ‘We are delighted to be Running the Runway with easyJet, in celebration of the Change for Good partnership. We would like to say a big thank you to easyJet for their continued support for our life saving work for children.’
Stewart Wingate, London Gatwick CEO, said: ‘Gatwick was delighted to host this unique night-time run and we would like to congratulate easyJet on such a fantastic effort in aid of UNICEF.’
According to easyJet, the airline and UNICEF’s Change for Good partnership has already raised nearly GBP1.2 million in passenger donations and unused foreign currency since its launch in July 2012. UNICEF has used the contributions to immunise nearly 1.5 million children against polio, and 2.5 million children and mothers against deadly childhood diseases and maternal and newborn Tetanus.
‘Change for Good’ is UNICEF’s global initiative run in partnership with airlines all over the world. The airline partners include: American Airlines, Qantas and Cathay Pacific, as well as easyJet in the UK. In total, ‘Change for Good’ has raised over GBP53 million globally for UNICEF’s work with children, easyJet said in its release.
