American Donates Over 20 Chartered Jets for Snowball Express Airlift

American Airlines and the Gary Sinise Foundation partner to send families of fallen heroes and first responders on a free holiday retreat to Disney World.

Caleb Revill

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 04:23 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

American transports Gold Star families to Disney World [Credit: Orlando International Airport]

Key Takeaways:

American Airlines and the Gary Sinise Foundation transported over 1,700 families of fallen military service members to Disney World for an all-expense-paid "Snowball Express" holiday retreat.
American utilized over 20 chartered aircraft and commercial flights to bring families from more than 90 locations, offering a five-day experience designed to uplift their spirits.
Having supported Snowball Express since 2006, American Airlines has involved over 17,000 participants historically, with more than 1,000 employees volunteering annually.
This year, the program is expanding to also transport over 1,000 families of fallen first responders, bringing the total participants to over 2,700.

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American Airlines and the Gary Sinise Foundation (GSF) brought over 1,700 family members of fallen military service men and women to Orlando, Florida, on Saturday for an all-expense-paid holiday retreat at Disney World.

Dubbed “Snowball Express,” the five-day event honored families of those who sacrificed their lives in service to the nation. American donated over 20 chartered aircraft and thousands of seats on commercial flights throughout its global network to fly these families from over 90 U.S. cities and international locations in and out of Disney.