Give Back This #GivingToday: Open Call For Baby Clothes To Aid Local Disadvantaged Families

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines partners with the Sharks Foundation to support Loved Twice, a Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to aiding underprivileged families through the collection of baby clothes. In honor of the holiday season's spirit of charitable giving, the three organizations will be holding a clothing drive open to all interested guests at the ice rink on Tuesday, November 28, known around the world as Giving Tuesday, a widely-recognized and celebrated day of charitable giving.

Starting at 10 a.m. on November 28, people are welcome to join in support of Loved Twice by dropping off new or gently-used baby clothes at the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square, San Francisco. For each item of clothing donated, Alaska Airlines will be contributing $1 in cash to the nonprofit that will go directly to families in need. Additionally, each person who donates will be entered into a raffle with the chance to win a handful of prizes, including two roundtrip tickets anywhere on Alaska Airlines' or Virgin America's network, a one-night stay in a Union Square hotel, or a free dinner at a top-rated restaurant in San Francisco. Free face paintings and other fun giveaways and entertainment will be available throughout the day to participants.

"During this season of giving, we are proud to support Loved Twice and their heartwarming efforts to provide much-needed clothes to underserved families throughout the San Francisco Bay Area," said Willy Bietak, President of Willy Bietak Productions, which manages the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square.

"Giving Tuesday is near-and-dear to our heart as Alaska Airlines is committed to giving back to the communities that we serve," said Annabel Chang, Alaska Airlines' vice president of Bay Area, who invited the public to join on social media by using #GivingTuesday and #AlaskaCares. "Through the combined efforts of our amazing partners and local residents, we are able to support the valuable work of Loved Twice. This holiday season, we are working to ensure that Bay Area newborns have quality clothes for their first year of life."

For individuals not able to drop off donations on Giving Tuesday, Alaska Airlines and the Sharks Foundation will continue the clothing drive on December 10. Those attending the San Jose Sharks vs. Minnesota Wild game on December 10 are encouraged to bring baby clothes with them and have another opportunity to be entered into a drawing for a pair of roundtrip tickets courtesy of Alaska Airlines.

"The Sharks Foundation is pleased to support Loved Twice to make a positive impact on the lives of the families with whom they work," said Heather Hooper, Director of the Sharks Foundation. "The work of the Sharks Foundation focuses on positively impacting the lives of youth and families in our community. Providing clothing to newborns during the holiday season addresses a need that will resonate with these families at a time of year when they can most use the assistance. We are pleased to be working with great partners in Alaska Airlines and the Union Square Ice Rink and thank our communities for supporting these efforts on Giving Tuesday."

"Loved Twice is grateful to Alaska Airlines, the Sharks Foundation and the Union Square Ice Rink for their commitment to the community by coordinating this special event to help local newborns-in-need," said Lisa Klein, Founder of Loved Twice. "The clothes collected will truly be making a difference in the lives of Bay Area babies who otherwise would not have infant clothes this winter."

About the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines
Since 2007, the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square presented by Alaska Airlines has delighted children and adults with a holiday-themed ice park located in San Francisco's Union Square. Ticket prices are $18 for regular admission and $13 for children eight years old and under. Figure skate or hockey skate rental are included in the cost of admission. Ice rink hours are from 10 a.m. - 11:30 p.m. daily. A portion of ticket proceeds benefit the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. For tickets or more information, please visit www.unionsquareicerink.com or call 415-781-2688.

About Willy Bietak Productions
Santa Monica-based Willy Bietak Productions is a full-service Production Company specializing in the development and production of high quality family entertainment. With a staff of award-winning designers, directors, choreographers and musical arrangers - backed by a talented production and management team - Willy Bietak Productions conceives, packages and tours international entertainment spectaculars as well as special events. For more information, please visit www.bietakproductions.com.

About Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines, together with Virgin America and its regional partners, flies 40 million guests a year to more than 115 destinations with an average of 1,200 daily flights across the United States and to Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica. With Alaska and Alaska Global Partners, guests can earn and redeem miles on flights to more than 900 destinations worldwide. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North America Satisfaction Study for 10 consecutive years from 2008 to 2017. Learn more about Alaska's award-winning service at newsroom.alaskaair.com and blog.alaskaair.com. Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK).

Alaska Airlines will match each clothing donation by an individual with a $1 contribution to Loved Twice up to a cap of two-thousand dollars where the donation meets the criteria of Loved Twice.

About the Sharks Foundation
The Sharks Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the lives of youth and families in our community with an emphasis in the areas of education, health and safety, and character development. During the 2016-17 season, the Sharks Foundation donated a record-breaking $1.8 million in funding to support the Bay Area. Since its inception in 1994, the Foundation has given more than $12 million to thousands of high-performing non-profit organizations serving youth and families in need. To learn more about how the Sharks Foundation is helping underserved children and families in the community, read our 2016-17 Community Report, visit SharksFoundation.org or connect on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

About Loved Twice
The mission of Loved Twice is to clothe newborns-in-need with quality new and gently-used baby clothing for the first year of life. Our nonprofit partners with a network of 154 social-service agencies to provide baby clothes to underserved families. Since 2005, Loved Twice has distributed 1,377,825 essential baby garments into underserved communities with an estimated retail value of $4,822,387. For us, even one infant going without proper clothing is one too many.

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