Award Presented In Washington, D.C.

For "representing the best of the aviation industry by bringing together corporate America as a lifeline for citizens battling cancer," Corporate Angel Network has received the 2009 Public Benefit Flying Award from The National Aeronautic Association in partnership with Air Care Alliance.

The Public Benefit Flying award, created to honor volunteers and organizations engaged in flying to help others, was presented on September 10 in the Lyndon B. Johnson room of the U.S. Senate.

"It began in 1981 with a dream," said NAA's President Jonathan Gaffney while presenting the award.  "Use empty seats on routine corporate flights to transport cancer patients to treatment across the country.  The dream became reality.

"With more than 500 corporate participants contributing more than 25,000 flights (since its inception in 1981, ed.) ... Corporate Angel Network has marked nearly three decades as an aviation lifeline to treatment that eases the physical discomfort, emotional stress and financial burden of travel to treatment for cancer patients," Gaffney said.

In accepting the award, Corporate Angel Network's Executive Director Peter Fleiss said, "this honor is a significant tribute to our many supporters.  It's because of the continued support of business aviation, and the aviation community as a whole, that CAN has been able to help so many."

The National Aeronautic Association is a non-profit membership organization devoted to promoting public understanding of the importance to the United States of aviation and space flight. NAA is the caretaker of several major aviation awards, and certifies all world and national aviation records set in the United States. 

The Air Care Alliance is a nonprofit public service organization supporting the work of dozens of volunteer-based charitable organizations whose members fly to help others.

FMI: www.CorpAngelNetwork.org