Our focus, year after year, is on the big day when we take five deserving families to the North Pole. For us, there is nothing better in knowing we've made an impact on the holiday season for families in need.
We solicit nominations for families to participate in Jingle Jet during the month of November. In order to participate, families must be nominated by third-parties. Preferably the families are unaware they are being nominated. This is to ensure the integrity of our families' stories and need.
We solicit nominations through social networks, our website and on-air. Nominations are accepted on our website through the form provided. Nominations are only accepted by the form and not by email or any other means.
Families are eligible for Jingle Jet should they have experienced a hardship during the year. We have selected a number of different families with different hardships and needs in years past. Before nominating a family, please consider what we do for families and whether or not their participating in Jingle Jet would give them a holiday experience they would have otherwise missed out on (ex. holiday magic, gifts, etc.)
All nominations are received directly by The Team, filed, and prepared for the selection process.
The selection process does not begin until the nomination period has officially closed. Depending upon the amount of nominations, time to complete the selection process varies. The first stage of selection is conducted by The Team to find the most needing families. Because of the limited resources available we are limited to finding five families to assist.
After many hours, the first short-list begins to take shape. Usually 20 to 25 nominations are selected to move on to an second review by The Team and Tony Zazza in a conference format. From there, the list is further shortened to 10 or 15 nominations with a focus on the families most needing of Jingle Jet magic.
Finally, the Selection Committee meets to formally choose the five most deserving families from the final short-list. The Selection Committee traditionally includes Tony Zazza, the Executive Director and other dignified supporters involved with Jingle Jet.
After a secret ballot, five families are chosen for Jingle Jet and a trip of a lifetime.
The hangar is decorated to be the "North Pole" - complete with reindeer, Santa Claus, elfs, face-painters, balloon-artists and photo booths. The families arrive to Love Field and board the Stars Jet, greeted by a full flight staff. With everyone safely aboard the Jingle Jet 'departs' for the "North Pole". After a well navigated taxi around the runway, the Jingle Jet arrives to the "North Pole". The families disembark into the hangar to find that every family has a tree filled with presents underneath. The children typically rush straight for Santa and the magic and the tears make everyone tingle with joy.