Join American Airlines, American Eagle and "Fly for the Cure" During October to Honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

USA - English

• Latin America - español

FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines and American Eagle, in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, are encouraging customers to "Fly for the Cure" during October as part of the Passionately Pink for the Cure® program to support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The program is the centerpiece of a month filled with activities and celebrations, in the U.S. and abroad.

During the "Fly for the Cure" campaign, Susan G. Komen for the Cure advocates have the opportunity to celebrate individuals they wish to honor as they help in the fight to end breast cancer. Participants are invited to visit a "Fly for the Cure" virtual pinkboard on American's Facebook page (Facebook.com/AA), where a pink ribbon can be "pinned" to their location on a map and a donation can be made to Komen, if desired. Donations of $25 or more will earn 10 AAdvantage® miles for every dollar contributed through American's Miles for the Cure® program. The Twitter-savvy can tweet @AmericanAir using the designated hashtag "#flyforthecure" with the name of the person they are honoring during October.

Customers in American's cornerstone markets of Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami and New York (including JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty airports), will see a sea of pink T-shirts emblazoned with "#tweetthecure," inviting them to send a message to American's Twitter channel.

"Breast cancer continues to reach deeply into so many lives, and to affect so many of our families and loved ones," said Craig Kreeger, American's Senior Vice President – Customer Experience. "We encourage our customers and employees to join us in our 'Fly for the Cure' campaign to help American and Komen realize our shared mission of ending breast cancer forever."

The "Fly for the Cure" campaign will culminate in a global, system-wide "Pink Out" on Oct. 14, when American Airlines and American Eagle employees all over the world will wear pink, including special pink-ribbon scarves and ties for many uniformed employees; decorate ticket counters and gate areas in pink; and raise funds to support a goal to raise $1 million for breast cancer research this year. Customers are invited to support the cause by wearing pink when traveling that day.

American Airlines and American Eagle will literally "Fly for the Cure," as well, as its Komen-branded pink-ribbon planes make special appearances at selected cities across the nation throughout the month. American unveiled the eight pink-ribbon aircraft in 2008 to announce an expanded relationship, becoming Komen's official airline and first-ever Lifetime Promise Partner. These aircraft carry Komen's iconic pink-ribbon motif on their fuselages as a reminder that one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

As a Komen Lifetime Promise Partner, American has pledged to raise $1 million annually for eight years to fund the American Airlines Susan G. Komen for the Cure Promise Grant, a study of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

"We are honored that American, its employees and customers are supporting breast cancer research through the 'Fly for the Cure' campaign," said Margo K. Lucero – Vice President of Business Development and Partnerships, Susan G. Komen for the Cure. "As our official airline and a corporate sponsor for nearly 30 years, we are truly grateful for American's contribution to funding the research toward finding the cures for breast cancer."

American's support for Komen will be visible in a number of other ways this month, including special pink-themed menus at selected Admirals Club® lounges across the country, where 10 percent of the proceeds on sales of pink items will go toward the $1 million fundraising goal. Now through Oct. 31, customers who purchase a new Admirals Club membership or renew a current membership using the promotion code "KOMEN11" will receive a $25 discount off of the annual renewal membership, and American Airlines will donate $25 to Komen. New AAdvantage members will be able to print a pink AAdvantage new member card. American's customers are also invited to text "PINK" to 90999 during October to make a $10 donation to Komen for the Cure.

American is a sponsor of the Susan G. Komen International Race for the Cure® in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 16. In Tokyo, American will join with Japan Airlines to decorate gates in pink and distribute breast cancer awareness literature at Narita International Airport.

For Zumba® fitness enthusiasts, American is also a sponsor of a Party in Pink™ Zumbathon®  charity event taking place in London on Oct. 16. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Komen's Global Promise Fund, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Cure Cancer  @ UCLH (partyinpink.com). American is flying Zumba creator Beto Perez and musician Wyclef Jean from Miami to London for the event.

This fall will mark the 17th year that American has presented the American Airlines Celebrity Golf and Tennis Weekend, a fundraiser with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Komen. The event will be held Oct. 6-9 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort and the Del Mar Country Club in San Diego, Calif. Since its inception in 1995, the event has raised more than $8 million for Komen.

American is supporting Komen's new Hispanic initiative, Lazos que Perduran, ("Ribbons that Bind") to foster increased awareness, support, empowerment and action for Latina women. Announced in September to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, the initiative is a national program to provide Latinas with life-saving education about breast cancer, risk factors unique to them, the critical importance of early detection and healthy lifestyle messages.

Komen's African-American initiative, Circle of Promise, is another focus for American during October. Circle of Promise was introduced in 2008 to engage African-American women by empowering them to make a promise to reclaim their lives, their health and to be strong advocates in their communities.

Looking ahead to the holidays, American is continuing its successful Miles for the Cure fundraising campaign, which rewards donors through year end with 10 AAdvantage miles for every dollar they contribute to Komen, with a minimum $25 donation. Additionally, customers can give the gift of travel and support Komen at the same time via the American Airlines/Komen gift card, for which American will donate $5 to Komen for every $50 of travel purchased. Simply enter "Komen" in the tracking code box, applicable to online purchases only. To make a donation or buy a gift card, please visit AA.com/JoinUs.

For more information about American's partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, please visit AA.com/JoinUs.

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection® carrier serve 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members and members-elect serve more than 900 destinations with more than 10,000 daily flights to 149 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, we have invested more than $1.5 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

Current AMR Corp. releases can be accessed on the Internet.

The address is http://www.aa.com

SOURCE American Airlines

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