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Ú Social commitment from Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines Swiss—Strengthening the partnership with SOS Children’s Villages Swiss has supported the international aid organization SOS Children’s Villages for many years. One example of such support is the airline’s practice of collecting spare change in all currencies from passengers aboard its flights and donating it to SOS children’s vil- lages. In 2013 Swiss further solidified its part- nership with the aid organization. Swiss is supporting SOS Children’s Villages with a new package of measures comprising communi- cation and flight services along with fundrais- ing. More than 150,000 Swiss francs were collected on board Swiss aircraft in 2013. In addition, the airline has committed finan- cial, infrastructural, and logistical support to the independent Swiss Children’s Foundation. Employees have the option of donating a portion of their salaries on a monthly basis. This money, along with the donations from passengers, is used to finance houses and living costs for families in SOS Children’s villages, such as the one in Phuket, Thailand. In 2013 the Swiss Children’s Foundation donated more than 112,000 Swiss francs to SOS Children’s Villages. As one of Switzerland’s largest employers, Swiss has increased its social outreach activi- ties at the local level as well. With the coop- eration of the Pro Juventute foundation, three children’s days were held at Zurich Airport in the summer of 2013 as part of the airline’s support program for children and young people. One hundred school children were given an opportunity to explore the airport and afforded an exciting inside view of its complex operations. The program also included a visit to a Swiss long-haul Airbus A340. Swiss and Edelweiss Air support Wings for Japan The two Swiss airlines in the Lufthansa Group, Swiss and Edelweiss Air, are support- ers of the Wings for Japan aid project. This project was launched in 2011 by current and former Swiss employees following publication of the book Tsunami by the Japanese journal- ist Ken Mori. In this book, some 80 children between the ages of five and 17 describe, in narrative form and in pictures, their experi- ences and fates during and after the environ- mental disaster in Fukushima. Wings for Japan set itself the goal of gradually taking all 80 children for a visit to Switzerland, both to afford them a positive change from what in many cases continues to be the harsh reality of their everyday lives and to give them a chance to have fun with Swiss children of the same age. Swiss and Edelweiss Air have supported the project since its inception with flight services between Japan and [Ú 08] Switzerland. During the reporting year, 25 Japanese children received invitations to Switzerland. Austrian Airlines flies for a good cause and takes off with the Life Ball plane For its social projects, Austrian Airlines works primarily with reputable organizations such as Global 2000 or Hilfe für Kinder aus Weißruss- land (“Aid to Children from Belarus”), which organize vacations for children. The airline covers the costs of flying the children and offers their adult escorts flight tickets at reduced rates. In addition, Austrian Airlines assists directly affected persons who must go to Austria for medical treatment or surgical procedures by giving them free flight tickets. With financial support from the Vienna Tourist Board, Austrian Airlines repainted a Boeing 777 with a livery design specially created for the Life Ball 2014 charitable event. The aircraft has been flying around the world with this special design since April 1, 2014. On May 30, 2014, Austrian Airlines used the official Life Ball plane to take famous guests of this charitable event from New York to Vienna. The Life Ball in Vienna is an event organized to benefit people infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS. This support is a demonstration of the airline’s social commitment in response to an issue of worldwide relevance. Brussels Airlines—Off-road for a good cause Employees of the Lufthansa affiliate Brussels Airlines who participated in the Bike for Africa campaign swapped aircraft for bicycles for the 240-kilometer tour. At the end of the tour through Uganda, which took place in January 2014, the cyclists donated about EUR 100,000 to a Ugandan aid organization and a Belgian nongovernmental organization. The money had been collected in advance through various sponsoring activities. Brussels Air- lines contributed to the initiative by taking charge of logistical matters, which included transporting the bicycles. Bike for Africa is a campaign organized by Brussels Airlines’ b.foundation for Africa, which supports employees involved in various charitable programs. ß Sustainability Report Balance // Issue 2014 // Lufthansa Group // 109