Carrying the Flame

If you happened to be flying on United from Boston to Chicago on July 18, 2018, you might've noticed a very special passenger strapped into seat 1A: a torch. 

A torch contained in a special case designed to hold a live flame, to be specific. And, to be even more specific, a torch carrying the Special Olympics ‘Flame of Hope.’ It was making its way to its place of origin, Chicago’s Soldier Field where fifty years earlier the torch was lit to inaugurate the very first Special Olympics.  

The torch had already traveled the world in a continent-spanning relay, igniting hope and optimism within people of all abilities as it made its way home to Chicago, the final approach upon the wings of a United aircraft. 

As you can imagine, it’s a tricky operation to fly an open flame on an airplane, requiring special planning and precautions. Keeping alive the meaning which that flame represents is even more challenging.  

It was an honor for all of my United family to serve as official sponsors of the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary, helping to bring athletes and their families to the Games – in addition to the torch itself. 

But we wanted not only to champion the Special Olympics’ “Inclusion Revolution,” we wanted to be a part of it and leverage our resources to extend it. 

That’s why, last October, we welcomed our first four Special Olympics athletes to the United Airlines family as Service Ambassadors. 

(Photo taken pre-COVID)

Over the past year, Daniel, Kyle, Lauren and Zinyra (Z) have brought their efforts and joy to serving customers travelling through our hub at Chicago O’Hare. In a time of great stress and uncertainty, these heroes have embodied the strength of spirit that made them champions and they’ve certainly left their mark on the customers and employees around them. 

I hope you’ll take a moment to watch this incredibly beautiful video about these brilliant young people. 

My hope is that this new opportunity will continue to grow in scale and ambition, providing ever greater numbers of Special Olympic athletes with paths for skills development and future employment in the United family. 

In doing so, we aspire to carry more than just the torch of the Special Olympics, its mission and message. We hope to truly carry the flame of the Inclusion Revolution through the work of these outstanding Ambassadors.