American Airlines Applauded for Its Fundraising to Support Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R), Promise Grant to The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Can...( Collaboration to Fight Inflammatory B...),Health

Collaboration to Fight Inflammatory Breast Cancer Already Making Gains in First Year of Funding

DALLAS, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R) today lauded thousands of American Airlines AAdvantage(R) members, employees, and Celebrity Golf and Tennis supporters for helping American meet its promise to fund the fight against a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer.

American's annual Celebrity Golf and Tennis event, plus its Miles for the Cure(TM) program - soon to launch its second year - are funding a unique Komen for the Cure Promise Grant at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for new treatments for inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). The airline has pledged $8 million over eight years to fund a $7.5 million Promise Grant at M. D. Anderson's Morgan Welch Inflammatory Breast Cancer Clinic, the only clinic of its kind devoted to IBC.

In just one year, American Airlines raised more than $1 million toward that funding goal. Miles for the Cure, for which members of American's AAdvantage travel rewards program receive miles when they donate to Komen, will soon enter its second year. Celebrity Golf and Tennis will mark its 15th year in 2009.

"The real heroes in this effort are our customers and sponsors as well as our employees, whose generosity and support have made it possible to not only meet, but exceed our fundraising goal for Komen to date," said Roger Frizzell, American's vice president - corporate communications and advertising. "We have many loyal sponsors and employee volunteers who return each year to make Celebrity Golf and Tennis a resounding success, and nearly 11,000 AAdvantage members contributed to Miles for the Cure in 2008."

American, whose partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure began more than 20 years ago, was the first of Komen's corporate
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