Kenny Chesney to Kick-Off 122nd Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign with LIVE Performance at Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game

"Boys of Fall" Online Video Contest at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall Gives Fans a Chance to Win a Trip to Dallas for Game

ARLINGTON, Texas, Oct. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army and the Dallas Cowboys announced today that music superstar and football enthusiast Kenny Chesney will rock Cowboys Stadium on Thanksgiving Day to kick-off The Salvation Army's 122^nd annual Red Kettle Campaign. Kenny's performance will be televised LIVE nationally on FOX during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game against the Washington Redskins on November 22, 2012 at 3:15PM (CT). The concert marks the 16^th year of the Thanksgiving Day partnership between the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army, in which time the Red Kettle Campaign has raised more than $1.5 billion.

And now through November 11^th, fans of the Cowboys and Kenny Chesney can visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall for a chance to win a trip for four to Dallas to see the Thanksgiving Day game -- including on-field passes for the halftime show performance and a meet-and-greet with Kenny. To enter, just submit a short (60-seconds or less) video featuring youth (pre-collegiate) football highlights. Selected videos may be featured during the Dallas Cowboys halftime show on Thanksgiving Day. One lucky Grand Prize winner will also win a trip for four to see the game live and in-person. Complete contest rules and details are available at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org/BoysofFall.

"There are great traditions in America -- especially Thanksgiving, family and football. For 16 years the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army have been an American tradition and I'm happy to be a part of it," said Kenny Chesney. "I'm calling on all of my fans to not only give back this year but also send in their best football highlights videos for a chance to see me live in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day."

As one of the most exciting performers in country music, Kenny has sold more than 10 million concert tickets over the past 10 years. Kenny's performance comes on the heels of his most recent studio album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and has yielded the hit singles "Feel Like a Rock Star" "Come Over" and the current "El Cerrito Place." Kenny has sold more than 27 million albums and had 24 #1 singles. He is a four time Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year and is nominated again this year for the award. He also has four Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Awards.

Kenny's live halftime performance will mark the 16^th year of the musical tradition during the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game to launch The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign. Over the previous 15 years, the American public has generously given more than $1.5 billion to Salvation Army red kettles to help 30 million people a year in 5,000 communities each year. Now in its 122^nd year, the Red Kettle Campaign is one of the largest and longest-running charitable fundraisers, raising $147.6 million last year alone. Previous halftime performers who brought awareness to the campaign include Enrique Iglesias, Keith Urban, Daughtry, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny's Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Creed, Jessica Simpson, Billy Gillman, Clint Black, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.

"Without a doubt, Kenny will electrify Cowboys Stadium on Thanksgiving Day. His performance will not only kick-off The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign, but also get everyone singing along to his great music," said Charlotte Jones Anderson, Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President of Brand Management and Chairperson of The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board. "The longstanding partnership between the Cowboys and The Salvation Army is deeply meaningful especially for those in need. We know Kenny and his commitment to the Army will make this a year to remember."

In addition to giving to traditional kettles, supporters can also give online through the Army's Online Red Kettles or the Army's text-to-give program. Through www.OnlineRedKettle.org, supporters can create a virtual red kettle to raise donations from friends and family. Last year, more than $1.7 million was raised through Online Red Kettles to support the Christmas campaign. In addition, through December 24, donors can text the word "GIVE" to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the Red Kettle Campaign.

"Since the Red Kettle Campaign began more than a century ago, The Salvation Army has been providing food, clothing, shelter, toys and other assistance to families and individuals during Christmas thanks to the American donor. Without the public's support, our services would not be possible," said Major George Hood, National Community Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army. "Between Kenny Chesney and the Dallas Cowboys highlighting the kick-off event, we know that this year will be special and that we'll be able to continue providing critical services to millions of people in need."

From its humble origin as a fundraiser started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns in the United States. As part of the campaign, more than 25,000 Salvation Army workers and volunteers spread throughout the country to ring bells and solicit spare change donations to the iconic red kettles from holiday shoppers. In 2011, the campaign raised more than $147.6 million nationwide, a new record supported by the public's  nickels, dimes, quarters, dollars, credit cards (and the occasional diamond ring or gold tooth) all collected and used to help people in the communities in which the funds were raised. Last year, money raised helped The Salvation Army provide food, clothing, toys and other assistance to 30 million Americans in need.

For more information on The Salvation Army and the Red Kettle Kickoff, please visit http://blog.SalvationArmyUSA.org/, www.Facebook.com/SalvationArmyUSA or www.Twitter.com/SalvationArmyUS. 

About Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney, "one of country music's most triumphant...superstars" (NY Times) has had 24 #1 singles, ten platinum albums, and over 27 million albums sold. The release of his thirteenth album 'Welcome To The Fishbowl' this summer coincided with the blockbuster, 22-stadium 'Brothers of the Sun' Tour, with Chesney and Tim McGraw, which marked the 10th year that more than one million fans came out to celebrate music and summer with Chesney. Chesney is a CMT and AMA Artist of the Year, a four-time CMA Entertainment of the Year, and a four-time ACM Entertainer of the Year.

About Gene & Jerry Jones Family Charities
In the area of community service, Gene and Jerry Jones Family Charities' mission is built upon an overall philosophy of helping those who don't have the strength, the resources or the means to help themselves. As a sports entity that has enjoyed unprecedented success and recognition for more than four decades, the Dallas Cowboys feel a very strong obligation to transfer that championship tradition and the magic that it creates toward the bigger purpose of making a difference in the community. More information about the Dallas Cowboys is available at www.DallasCowboys.com.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.

SOURCE The Salvation Army