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Every Stop is a Volunteer Opportunity for This Horizon Air Pilot
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12/17/2009 3:11 p.m.
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To Karl Mariotti, charity may begin at home, but it travels with him wherever he goes.
Mariotti, a Q400 captain for Horizon Air, seeks out volunteer opportunities when he's out flying a line. During some of his overnight trips, he reaches out to local schools, churches and other community organizations to inquire about any needs they might have.
"On longer overnights, from the time you get into a city and the time you have to leave the next day, there's a fair amount of spare time," Mariotti says. "Even if it's just an hour or two, I've always thought it's more worthwhile to go and help people instead of just turning on the television."
Among the places Mariotti has volunteered are: a low-income health center in Yakima, Wash.; an elementary school in Pasco, Wash.; a food bank in Reno, Nev.; and a middle school in Redmond/Bend, Ore. And he's constantly on the lookout for more.
"Basically, I'll wander the neighborhood around our crew hotel, and if I see a place like a school or a church, I'll pop in and ask if they need any volunteers," he says. "It's mostly serendipity when I find a place that needs some help."
Over the past several years, Mariotti has made numerous contacts at organizations across Horizon's route map.
"The thing I like about smaller airlines like Horizon is that we go to smaller cities," he says. "It's easier to get involved in the community, and easier to make a difference."
Unfortunately, it can sometimes be months before his flying schedule sends him back to that city. That's why he shares all the leads he gets with fellow pilots and flight attendants and posts flyers in crew rooms, encouraging others to pick up where he has left off.
"Horizon has always been a place where I'm proud to work, and a lot of that is due to the good people we have working here," he says. "Any time we can match some of those good people with others who need their help, we should go for it."
Back at home in Bellingham, Wash., Mariotti is a member of the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters. He's also active with Animals as Natural Therapy, an organization that uses interactions with animals to help people overcome past problems like addiction and domestic violence.
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To find out about Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines' support of community involvement, see the Social Responsibility section.
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