FORT WORTH, Texas, Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On
Thursday, Dec. 11, nearly 1,800
children and spouses of fallen military will travel to Dallas/Fort Worth onboard American Airlines
flights for the ninth annual Snowball Express weekend. Snowball
Express is a nearly all-volunteer nonprofit organization
established in 2006 with the mission of bringing hope and new
memories to the children of military heroes who have died while on
active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. The
all-expense-paid trip takes place through Monday, Dec. 15.
As the official airline of Snowball Express, American is
transporting families traveling from 72 cities across the United States via 10 chartered and 51
commercial flights. Hundreds of American's employees volunteer
their time to host sendoff parties, staff the flights and assist
with activities.
"The families of fallen soldiers are heroes to all of us at
American Airlines and we are humbled by their sacrifice," said
Doug Parker, American's chairman and
CEO. "Snowball Express is one of the many causes that our employees
support in appreciation of the men and women who serve our
country, and it is one of our favorite events of the year."
Flights are made possible through the American Airlines Kids in
NeedSM program, which provides worldwide support for
children and their families, and for organizations dedicated to
improving the quality of life for children. Airfare for some
families will be provided by the nonprofit organizations Hero Miles
and Air Compassion for Veterans, which is funded in part through a
partnership with Fuel Smart, American's employee-led fuel
conservation program. In keeping with its continued work to support
families of the fallen, the United Service Organizations (USO)
Warrior and Family Care provided a grant for this year's Snowball
Express.
"We are thrilled to bring our Snowball families together for the
ninth consecutive year," said Francis 'Buck' Kern, Executive
Director of Snowball Express. "This time of the year can be
very difficult for the survivors of our fallen military heroes and
it is extremely powerful to hear our families talk about their
life-changing experiences at Snowball Express. As we enter into our
10th year, we are stronger and better able to serve our
families due to the outpouring of support from our community and
sponsors. We are thankful for the unwavering commitment of
American Airlines and we look forward to continuing our partnership
for years to come."
American's employee volunteers will host special sendoff
celebrations at each of the departure airports. Festivities will
include holiday decorations at gates and onboard aircraft,
refreshments and entertainment. Upon arrival at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW),
families will be greeted with a Texas-size celebration.
The families will also enjoy a variety of activities during
their visit to the Lone Star State, including a red carpet special
premiere of the movie "Annie," starring Jamie Foxx; a meet-and-greet with the stars of
the Discovery Channel show "Fast N' Loud;" a tour of the Perot
Museum of Nature and Science; a Western cookout at the Sheriff's
Posse Ranch in Weatherford, Texas;
and a private concert by Academy Award-nominated actor Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band.
To learn more about Snowball Express, visit SnowballExpress.org.
Additional information can also be found at aa.com/joinus.
About American Airlines Group
American Airlines Group
(NASDAQ: AAL) is the holding company for American Airlines and US
Airways. Together with wholly owned and third-party regional
carriers operating as American Eagle and US Airways Express, the
airlines operate an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to 339
destinations in 54 countries from its hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort
Worth, Los Angeles,
Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The American Airlines
AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles programs allow members to
earn miles for travel, vacation packages, car rentals, hotel stays
and everyday purchases. Members of both programs can redeem miles
for tickets as well as upgrades to First Class and Business Class.
In addition, AAdvantage members can redeem miles for vacation
packages, car rentals, hotel stays and retail products. American is
a founding member of the oneworld alliance, whose members and
members-elect serve nearly 1,000 destinations with 14,250 daily
flights to 150 countries. Connect with American on Twitter
@AmericanAir and Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines and follow US
Airways on Twitter @USAirways.
About Snowball Express
Over the past decade, true
American Heroes, the men and women of the United States Military
and their families, have made and continue to make extraordinary
sacrifices to protect our freedom. Since 2006, Snowball Express, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has hosted an annual gathering
that brings children of fallen military heroes together from around
the nation. The mission of Snowball Express is to honor America's
fallen military service members who have made the ultimate
sacrifice since 9/11 by humbly serving the families they
left behind. Champion their children's future success by creating
opportunities for joy, friendship, education, and communal healing,
by connecting these families to one another. Over ninety six
percent of total contributions go directly to support its programs.
To learn more about Snowball Express and to get involved please
visit www.snowballexpress.org or on social media at:
Facebook.com/SnowballExpressUSA, and follow us on Twitter
@SnowballExpress.
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130208/DA56847LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/military-families-make-new-holiday-memories-in-north-texas-with-snowball-express-and-american-airlines-300007825.html
SOURCE American Airlines