< JUL 30 2010 >

Harmony Airways Grey Cup Express brings Spirit of Vancouver® to Ottawa

By Blair Qualey

Thanks to a special package put together by Harmony Airways and The Vancouver Board of Trade’s Spirit of Vancouver (SOV) campaign, upwards of 200 lucky fans travelled to the nation’s capital to cheer on the BC Lions in their own cheering section at Frank Clair Stadium. Leading the way was B.C.’s team captain, Premier Gordon Campbell, and Vancouver Board of Trade chairman, Graeme Stamp.

"While the Lions didn’t win, the trip to Ottawa was a great chance to show the true spirit of B.C.," said Premier Campbell. "As always, The Vancouver Board of Trade did a great job of celebrating that spirit, and we’re all looking forward to sharing that with Canada again when B.C. hosts the Grey Cup in 2005. I had a great time."

SOV Grey Cup Express arrives in Ottawa

"The BC Lions have been an important part of this community for more than 50 years, and we wanted to show the Lions and the rest of the country that the spirit of Vancouver is alive and well and that we are ready to host the 93rd Grey Cup game in Vancouver next year," said Stamp, chairman of The Board and Spirit of Vancouver. "On the trip to Ottawa, our fans gave all of Canada a pretty good indication of this city’s can-do spirit and go-for-it attitude."

"The efforts made by the Spirit of Vancouver and the team at Harmony were remarkable," said BC Lions president and CEO, Bob Ackles. "From the field, you could see the block of orange hats in the east stands, and we knew it was them. The continued support of Spirit of Vancouver has really helped the resurgence of Lions football in this city and province."

The Grey Cup Express package included a return flight to Ottawa with Harmony Airways, hotel accommodations, bus transfers and a ticket to the 92nd Grey Cup championship game. Fans were also given specially-produced SOV and BC Lions-branded orange toques and t-shirts so that the Spirit of Vancouver cheering section stood out in the stands. Those on the flight also participated in various trivia contests, emceed by the premier, for prizes donated by Harmony Airways, The Vancouver Sun/The Province and SOV.

"Thanks to the incredible support of Harmony Airways, Companion Holidays, BC Lions Football Club, The Vancouver Sun, The Province and Tourism Vancouver, we were able, in four short days, to pull together this fun-filled trip," added Stamp. "Harmony made a significant investment of resources in providing the aircraft, accommodations and logistical arrangements, and I want to especially commend their management team for stepping up to make this strong showing of Vancouver’s Grey Cup spirit possible."

"When The Board of Trade approached us with the idea of running a special Grey Cup charter to Ottawa so that BC Lions fans could cheer on their team, we thought it was a great idea," said Marie McDonnell, manager, corporate communications, Harmony Airways. "We are in the unique position of being the only major airline based in Vancouver, so this trip was our way of sharing in the community pride that surrounded the Grey Cup."

Harmony Airways aircraft maintenance team branded the aircraft inside and out with SOV and BC Lions logos, and their culinary staff provided special football-shaped cookies to complement the special meal service.

Harmony Airways, formerly known as HMY Airways, is an industry leader in full-service, competitive air travel. Aimed at exceeding customer expectations, Harmony provides a full meal service, complimentary wine, comfortable legroom and free in-flight movies aboard its Boeing 757 aircraft.

Through its tour operator, Companion Holidays, Harmony has introduced packages to its newest destination, Palm Springs. Harmony also flies regular scheduled service to Las Vegas, Honolulu, Maui and Toronto. Harmony Airways is a Spirit of Vancouver partner and winner of this year’s corporate category at the SOV Awards.

For more information, visit Harmony Airways at www.harmonyairways.com.

Board of Trade & SOV chairman Stamp (left) and Harmony Airways VP of marketing & sales, Sheldon Stoilen, check in for the Grey Cup Express to Ottawa		B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, Stamp and daughter Shannon Stamp model their Grey Cup wear
Stamp checks in at Vancouver International Airport with Harmony Airways corporate communications manager Marie McDonnell (centre) and Edie Thome, vice-president, customer service		Premier Campbell boards the Grey Cup Express with McDonnell and Dianne Berlinghof of Companion Holidays
Campbell visits with a BC Lions fan aboard the Harmony Airways SOV Express		View from the Spirit of Vancouver Harmony Airways cheering section
Board membership manager Peter Jackman (left) joins Stamp and daughter Shannon Stamp in the BC Lions cheering section		An exhausted BC Lions fan sleeps through Harmony Airways' superior in-flight service on the ride home from Ottawa

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