American Airlines Sky Ball XIV, in Support of the Airpower Foundation, Raises $2.5 Million

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 24, 2016 -- American Airlines Sky Ball XIV, a black tie gala which took place on Saturday night, October 22 in the American Airlines Hangar at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, set a new fundraising record for the event, raising more than $2.5 million for the Airpower Foundation, a nationwide organization dedicated to supporting members of the military and their families.

American Airlines Sky Ball XIV, in support of the Air Power Foundation, closed with a special performance by Grammy Award winning country music star, Tim McGraw. Nine new recruits were administered the oath of enlistment into the armed services of the United States by General Tony Thomas, Commanding General of United States Special Operations Command during the Sky Ball XIV program Saturday, October 22 at American Airlines Hanger 5 at DFW International Airport.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95c59299-e768-4203-aff1-24add4d7760e

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/10e7669c-2b17-4eb6-9b8d-5d8bc017a249

This year’s event profiled the men and women who serve in the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and closed with a special performance by Grammy Award winning country music star, Tim McGraw. More than 3,000 people were in attendance.

More than 1,200 American Airlines employees volunteered their time, talent and skills to make Sky Ball XIV a success.

“Raising funds for our nation’s heroes and their families, through events like Sky Ball, is a point of pride for American Airlines and its employees,” said David Seymour, senior vice president, Integrated Operations at American and graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. “We are honored to partner with the Airpower Foundation to bring support and services to the men and women who have sacrificed to ensure our nation’s safety.”

The funds raised from the event will allow the Airpower Foundation to contribute to funding projects that directly support thousands of 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 put our nation’s catastrophically wounded, ill or injured service members transition to civilian life through the donations of technologically advanced “smart” homes, enhancing their independence and mobility 
• Heroes on the water, an organization that organizes outdoor kayak fishing expeditions to help rehabilitate and reintegrate physically and emotionally challenged veterans

In addition to celebrating the men and women of USSOCOM, 21 of our nation’s 76 living Medal of Honor recipients were honored for their valor in combat.  More than 50 guests took to the stage to perform the 22 Kill pushup challenge lead by Chef Robert Irvine, and nine new recruits were administered the oath of enlistment into the armed services of the United States by General Tony Thomas, Commanding General of USSOCOM.

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 Tony Orlando; a veteran-focused career fair sponsored by the Non Commissioned Officers Association; educational outreach programs and a salute to the hero’s concert honoring members of the law enforcement community featuring Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band; Terry Fator; and America’s Tenor Steve Amerson. 

“The 2016 Sky Ball weekend was an incredible success in large part due to a record number of sponsors and organizations who donated to the cause,” said Jim Palmersheim, event chair and senior manager of Military and Veterans Programs at American Airlines. “But the real success of Sky Ball was reflected by more than 1,200 volunteers who freely gave their time, talents and resources to be a part of something greater than oneself; they are the heart and soul of why Sky Ball was an absolute grand slam home run.”

For more information about Sky Ball visit Skyballinfo.com and for more information about how American Airlines supports military, veterans and their families please visit www.aa.com/miliatary.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines (Nasdaq:AAL) 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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