FORT WORTH, Texas: Through this year’s annual fundraising campaign with Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C), American Airlines raised nearly $4 million for innovative and life-saving cancer research, the most successful fundraising campaign the airline has contributed to since joining forces with SU2C in 2016.
Stand Up To Cancer enables scientific breakthroughs by funding collaborative, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional scientific cancer research teams and investigators. Over its seven-year collaboration, American has raised more than $20 million to benefit SU2C and its mission to make every cancer patient a long-term survivor.
“Thanks to the tremendous support from our generous team members and customers, American was able to make its largest contribution in a single campaign to Stand Up To Cancer to date,” American Airlines Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Ron DeFeo said. “The impact we can make when we unite in the fight against cancer is humbling and American is honored to be a part of that fight.”
Since the campaign kicked off on Aug. 19, customers received 25 bonus American Airlines AAdvantage® miles for every dollar donated. Additionally, thanks to Mastercard, anyone who used their American Airlines AAdvantage® Mastercard® credit card when donating received 50 bonus AAdvantage® miles per dollar, up to $3 million in donations.
The funds raised will go toward continuing to accelerate the pace of groundbreaking research.
This year, in addition to the fundraising campaign, American supported SU2C in various moments. To kick-off the yearly campaign, Isom and American team members participated in the eighth SU2C biennial roadblock televised fundraising special and reflected on the airline’s collaboration with and commitment to the long-standing relationship with SU2C. Additionally, American team members, whose lives were impacted by cancer participated in an on-field recognition at a Texas Rangers baseball game and a Chicago Cubs baseball game. Each game featured placard moments, where audience members and players took a moment to recognize who they were standing up for.
“We are so grateful for the support of American Airlines and their customers, who’ve played a major role in propelling our mission forward,” said Rusty Robertson, SU2C co-founder. “Through our donors’ generosity, we can save more lives now and keep moving critical cancer research forward – to make every patient a long-term survivor. Stand Up To Cancer looks forward to reaching more milestones together.”
For more information about the ways in which American gives back to the community, visit aa.com/letgoodtakeflight.