MONTREAL — Transat recently raised over $8,500 from generous travel agents and other industry members who attended Transat’s recent Sun Academies for SOS Children’s Villages, the world’s largest charity dedicated to the welfare of orphaned and abandoned children.

In exchange for a donation, one person per region in Quebec, Ontario/Atlantic Canada and Western Canada was eligible to win an all-inclusive holiday package.

The winner in Quebec was Kathleen Dufresne of Voyages Arc-en-ciel, who won a 7-night, all-inclusive package to a Palace Resort in Cancun or Jamaica.

In Ontario/Atlantic Canada, Rebecca Hambafehy of Selloff Vacations won a 7-night, all-inclusive package to the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton in Jamaica.

The winner in Western Canada was Claire Banman of Canada One Travel, who won a 7-night, all-inclusive package to a Hard Rock Hotel in Cancun, the Riviera Maya or Puerto Vallarta in Mexico or in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Transat first partnered with SOS Children’s Villages in the fall of 2009 following a vote among its employees, making it the first humanitarian cause to be embraced across the entire organization, and affirming the company’s commitment to improving the lives of children in its destination countries. Transat works with SOS Children’s Villages in the majority of its source markets, including Canada, France, the United Kingdom and Greece, and is currently supporting 12 projects in nine countries – Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, Vietnam, Tunisia and Zambia.

Transat would like to express its sincere thanks to all donors for their generosity.