Asiana's 'Change for Good' brings $2.8 million in donations to Unicef

MANILA, Philippines - Asiana Airlines’ Change for Good program has brought over $2.8 million or 4 billion won in donations to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). 

If you’ve ever given change in an envelope distributed by Asiana flight attendants or dropped a few coins in bins at arrival areas at the Incheon International Airport, then you have been part of Asiana’s campaign to improve the lives of children everywhere.

After running the campaign for 15 years, Asiana Airlines (OZ) celebrated its collected donations with a change counting event at its Seoul headquarters. 

Asiana Airlines president and COO Young-Doo Yoon, along with Korea Committee for UNICEF executive director Park Dong-Eun and Friendship Ambassador and actor Ahn Sung-Ki led the ceremony with Asiana personnel.

Park praised Asiana for the accomplishment, saying, “Four billion won is a meal for six million starving children. With Asiana passengers’ voluntary participation, a small miracle has been made. The spirit of giving is spreading.”

Asiana Airlines began the campaign in 1994, asking passengers to donate any unwanted foreign change prior to arrival at their destinations that may be used to provide aid to children in difficult environments. 

According to UNICEF, the collected donation will go to providing vitamin A to children losing their eyesight, infantile paralysis vaccine shots, hepatitis B prevention medicine and educational opportunities to at least 1.6 million people.

Asiana, winner of the ATW 2009 Airline of the Year, has collected heartwarming stories from years of the campaign as well. 

A business traveler in his fifties, moved by the project, changed his cabin class from business to economy. He then donated one million won to the program. 

Another anonymous passenger gave $10,000 outright when he heard of the program.

Beginning August 2006, Asiana Airlines began offering “Change for Good” on domestic flights as well and has raised approximately 300 million won so far. 

Even Asiana flight attendants have formed a club called OZ UNICEF, and faithfully attend UNICEF events and do volunteer work throughout Korea.