American Airlines Sky Ball XV Raises $3.1 Million for Military and Veterans Causes
November 14 2017 - 1:00PM
American Airlines Sky Ball XV — a black tie gala that took place
Saturday night, Nov. 11, in an American Airlines hangar at Dallas
Fort Worth International Airport — set a new fundraising record,
raising more than $3.1 million for the Airpower Foundation, a
nationwide organization dedicated to supporting members of the
military and their families.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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This year’s event, which took place on Veterans Day, proudly
profiled veterans of the United States armed forces and closed with
a special performance by the iconic music group The Beach Boys.
More than 2,700 people were in attendance.
More than 1,500 American Airlines team members volunteered their
time, talent and skills to make Sky Ball XV a success.
“American Airlines Sky Ball is an event unlike any other, and
it’s an incredible thing to see so many people come together to
celebrate, honor and remember those heroes and their families who
have sacrificed to protect our nation and ensure our freedoms,”
said American’s David Seymour, senior vice president – Integrated
Operations, and graduate of the United States Military Academy at
West Point. “American team members always step up to support Sky
Ball, and this year was no different as more than 1,500 volunteered
to serve as waiters, ushers, hosts, set up crews and more to
transform one of our maintenance hangars into a world-class event
venue throughout the weekend.”
The funds raised from the event support the Airpower Foundation,
whose mission directly supports our nation’s wounded, ill and
injured service members, veterans and their families. The money
raised this weekend will allow the Airpower Foundation to assist
organizations such as:
- Snowball Express, an annual gathering of nearly 2,000 children
and spouses of fallen military members
- Gary Sinise Foundation, working to help our nation’s
catastrophically wounded, ill or injured service members transition
to civilian life through donations of technologically advanced
“smart” homes, enhancing their independence and mobility
- The Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative, an
organization dedicated to ensuring post-9/11 veterans and their
families make successful transitions to civilian life with a focus
on gaining meaningful employment and overcoming the invisible
wounds of war
Also at this year’s Sky Ball:
- Seventeen of our nation’s 73 living Medal of Honor recipients
were in attendance and honored for their valor in combat
- Myles Eckert, famous for his $20 gift to a solider, was named
an honorary American Airlines Captain by Captain Kimball Stone,
Vice President – Flight, in recognition of his service, care and
compassion
- Fourteen new recruits were administered the oath of enlistment
into the armed services of the United States by Medal of Honor
recipient Major General Patrick Brady (U.S. Army Retired)
- Seven students from Grapevine Colleyville Independent School
District in the DFW area were recognized for designing the Sky Ball
XV Challenge Coins representing the attributes of the Medal of
Honor Foundation’s Character Development Program.
Saturday night’s gala was the culmination of three days of
events, including a Medal of Honor Bob Hope Award Gala recognizing
legendary entertainer and veterans supporter Terry Fator, which
raised $275,000 for the Medal of Honor’s Character Development
Program, a veteran-focused career fair sponsored by American,
educational outreach programs, and a Salute to the Heroes concert
honoring members of the military and law enforcement community who
helped with recent natural disasters. The concert featured Gary
Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band; Terry Fator; and America’s Tenor Steve
Amerson.
“The 2017 Sky Ball weekend was an incredible success in large
part due to a record number of sponsors and organizations that
donated to the cause, raising funds for our service men and women
and their families,” said Captain Jim Palmersheim, event chair and
senior manager, Military and Veterans Programs at American
Airlines. “It was an honor to serve alongside more than 1,500
volunteers who freely gave of themselves this year and have donated
countless hours over the past 15 years; their unwavering support
continues to make Sky Ball such a remarkable success.”
For more information about Sky Ball, visit Skyballinfo.com, and
for more information about how American Airlines supports the
military, veterans and their families please visit
aa.com/military.
About American Airlines GroupAmerican Airlines
and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day
to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has
hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. 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. Shares of American Airlines
Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015,
its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on
Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
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