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JetBlue Airways Hosts First Annual 'Swing for Good' Golf Classic Benefiting KaBOOM! and Do Something

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 October 2009, 14:08 CDT

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- JetBlue Airways (Nasdaq: JBLU), New York's hometown airline, today announces its first annual 'Swing for Good' Golf Classic at Bethpage State Park -- home of the 2009 U.S. Open -- benefiting two charitable partners: KaBOOM!, a not-for-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America; and DoSomething, an organization that empowers young people to take action in their community around any cause. Former Major League Baseball players Mike Torrez and Tim Raines will be out on the links and Dwight Gooden will also be in attendance at the event. Sponsors of the game include Verizon Business, Airbus and Sabre Holdings, among others.

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The double shotgun will be played this Thursday, October 8 on two, 18-hole championship golf courses, including the "Red" course, featuring 6,756 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 71. Breakfast, registration and range begin at 8:30 a.m., with a Best Ball Shotgun Start at 10:00 a.m. The JetBlue Challenge Shootout will be played at 3:30 p.m., where four JetBlue Challenge closest to the pin finalists will have the chance to win $1 million and other great prizes for longest drive, straightest drive and much more throughout the day. The event will conclude at 4:00 p.m. with a dinner, awards ceremony, raffle and auction.

"JetBlue is committed to giving back to the communities we serve by supporting our long-standing non-profit partners like KaBOOM! and Do Something in any way we can, whether it's through in-kind donations, special benefits or the volunteer efforts of our more than 12,000 crewmembers who have built seven playgrounds across the nation in the last four years," said JetBlue CEO and Honorary Golf Chairman Dave Barger. "We are excited to offer our continued support through the launch of our first annual golf classic, aligning with our brand and our culture to inspire fun and friendly competition for two great causes. We look forward to seeing everyone out on the links!"

"KaBOOM! is dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of children, and thanks to the playful spirit and contributions of big-hearted supporters of JetBlue's Swing for Good Golf Classic, we will be able to help more children build both character and muscle out on the playground," said Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder of KaBOOM!

"We are totally psyched to be part of this day, not because we're such big golfers, but because we majorly heart JetBlue," said Nancy Lublin, CEO and Chief Old Person of DoSomething.org. "Funds raised at this week's golf classic will be used to support our Social Action Boot Camp on Nov. 7 in New York, where we'll be teaching 120 young people how to better rock their cause. We hope all the swingers enjoy the day, and thank you for your support!"

For more information or to enter the 'Swing for Good' Golf Classic, please visit www.jetblue.com/about/community/golf.asp. To learn about or to purchase the JetBlue Challenge for your next event, visit www.jetbluechallenge.com.

JetBlue is committed to the cities it serves through support and alignment with not-for-profit organizations that focus on children, education, communities and the environment. Through a variety of programs and activities, JetBlue crewmembers are engaged to help make an impact and inspire greatness in others while enriching the lives of individuals and communities across the airline's network. In addition to building playgrounds with KaBOOM! and teaming up with DoSomething.org, JetBlue has partnerships with a variety of other philanthropic and community-focused organizations, including The American Cancer Society and their Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walks, and First Book, a not-for-profit organization with the mission to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. In addition, JetBlue has created a platform called Jetting to Green that allows the airline to encourage environmentally friendly practices through education and volunteerism.

About KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,700 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers - a national network of individual advocates for play. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

About DoSomething.org

DoSomething.org is the nation's largest organization dedicated to empowering young people to take action around any cause. A driving force in creating a culture of volunteerism, DoSomething.org plans to activate two million young people a year in their communities by 2011. By leveraging communications technologies and social media, DoSomething.org enables teens to convert their ideas and energy into positive action. The award-winning site inspires, empowers and celebrates a generation of doers: teenagers who recognize the need to do something, believe in their ability to get it done, and then take action. Plug in at www.DoSomething.org.

About JetBlue Airways

New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2009, the carrier ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the fifth year in a row.

Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue is now pleased to offer customers Lots of Legroom and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue introduced complimentary in-flight e-mail and instant messaging services on aircraft "BetaBlue," a first among U.S. domestic airlines. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 58 cities with 660 daily flights. New service to Saint Lucia begins on October 26 and service to Kingston, Jamaica begins on October 30. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all travel is ticketless, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information or reservations call 1-800-JET-BLUE (1-800-538-2583), TTY/TDD 1-800-336-5530 or visit www.jetblue.com.

SOURCE JetBlue Airways

Source: PR Newswire

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