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A 14-year-old boy had his dreams come true when he became an airline pilot for the day through the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Allegiant Air.
Allegiant paired with Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada to make 14-year-old Ben's wish a reality. Ben's journey began when he and his family flew in from Reno on Nov. 21. Allegiant pilots helped him to prepare the aircraft for departure, conduct pre-flight checks and perform an inspection of the exterior of the plane. He was given a uniform and his pilot's wings before joining two Allegiant captains in the flight deck of the company's full-motion Airbus simulator. Ben flew the first flight to Reno, Nevada with his father and sister. Once the flight deck doors closed, Ben was treated like a pilot-in-training, with the two captains handing over controls to him and teaching him how to takeoff, steer and land the aircraft.
"We've been partners with Make-A-Wish since 2012 and have flown more than 2,000 kids and their families to their wish destinations, so we understand the transformational power of a wish," Allegiant President Gregory Anderson said. "But this is the first time we've had the honor of actually granting a child's wish. Our team members wanted to create an unforgettable experience for Ben and I believe they succeeded."
Allegiant became a national partner of Make-A-Wish in 2012, donating over $7 million to the organization through in-kind flights and sponsorships in the years since. In 2017, the airline donated office space in its Las Vegas headquarters to Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. This donation allowed the foundation to reduce administrative costs and dedicate those funds to wish fulfillment. Allegiant also donates $1 from every Wingz Snack Pack sold in flight and is the presenting sponsor for the annual Walk for Wishes event in Las Vegas. On Jan. 19, Allegiant celebrated its 2,000 flight as a Make-A-Wish partner, flying Annabell from Reno to fulfill her wish of hitting the ice as a professional hockey player.
"They say it takes a village to raise a child, but we know it takes a community to grant a wish," said Scott Rosenzweig, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada president and CEO. "Allegiant Air continues to walk beside us in giving the prescription of hope for children with critical illnesses and provides us our home here at Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. And when we found out Ben's wish, we only had one team in mind, Allegiant. They not only make our kids' wishes come true but ours too!"