15 Years and Counting: How Delta People Continue to Fight for a Cure

I’ve long said that Delta’s greatest competitive advantage is our people – their professionalism, skill and empathetic, human service they provide to our customers set us apart. The Delta people featured on the cover of Sky this month are not only great examples of that dedication to our customers, they symbolize our commitment to community.

All of them breast cancer survivors or caregivers, and they are on the front lines of the fight for a cure. If you fly Delta regularly, you already know that October is a special month for us, when our people worldwide don their pink uniforms and serve as ambassadors in the fight against breast cancer.

We’re proud of our longstanding partnership with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) in these efforts. This year is particularly special as it marks the 15th anniversary of our "Breast Cancer One" flight. That’s when our famous Boeing 767-400 “pink plane” takes to the skies with about 150 breast cancer employee survivors to raise money for BCRF.

These individuals are fighting not only their own battles with cancer, but are looking beyond to fight on behalf of those fighting this horrific disease worldwide.

The efforts don’t end with a single flight. All month long, Delta people sell pink products such as pink lemonade and headsets on board our aircraft and in our Delta Sky Clubs. We also set up Pink Boutiques where employees can purchase items and support BCRF across our system. Employees and customers can also donate directly online and on board our planes.

While our efforts ramp up in October, we keep the fight going year-round on delta.com and through SkyWish, the charitable arm of our SkyMiles frequent flier program that allows members to donate miles to community organizations.

Those efforts are paying off. Together, with your support, hard work and generosity, we have raised $16.8 million, allowing us to fund 67 breast cancer-focused research projects since we started our campaign in 2005.

Our efforts on behalf of global health and wellness go beyond BCRF. Earlier this year I joined a team of cancer survivors to pull a Boeing 757 aircraft across the tarmac in our annual “Jet Drag” to raise money for the American Cancer Society. We also support the American Red Cross, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and a variety of health organizations in communities across the world.

Giving back is in our DNA, and it’s why we set aside 1 percent of our profits every year for our communities. It’s gratifying to see our people, our customers and our employees working together to solve problems and make the world a better place.