Thursday, June 13, 2024 United Airlines partnered with the Chicago Bears at O’Hare International Airport to support Special Olympics, Inc. Chicago Bears Tight End Cole Kmet joined the airline’s Special Olympics Service Ambassadors to raise awareness of the organization’s travel needs. United’s Special Olympics Service Ambassador (SOSA) Program, launched in 2019, hires Special Olympics athletes to work part-time in airports.
These employees assist United customers with check-in kiosks, bag drop locations, TSA PreCheck lines, wayfinding, gate recovery, and Agent on Demand services. Currently, there are 18 SOSA workers at United hubs in Chicago, Houston, Denver, and Washington, D.C.
, with plans to expand to Los Angeles and San Francisco this year. Additionally, United sponsors Special Olympics Plane Pull® competitions, local volunteer events, and the Special Olympics World Games. Last year, 4,000 Special Olympics athletes, coaches, Unified partners, and staff from North America traveled for sports, educational development, competitions, and leadership events.
United supports Special Olympics by providing travel and encouraging loyalty program members to donate unused miles through the Miles on a Mission program. United’s sponsorship of Special Olympics’ annual Capitol Hill Day has facilitated over 300 meetings between athletes and lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
Since 2017, United has contributed more than $8.5 million in travel miles and cash to support Special Olymp.
