National Park Foundation Announces 2011 Relationship With USA TODAY to Benefit the Flight 93 National Memorial

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's national parks, announces their 2011 relationship with USA TODAY benefitting the Flight 93 National Memorial currently being built in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.  United Flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, after the 40 passengers and crew fought back against terrorists attempting to attack our nation's capital.  Fundraising is currently underway to complete the memorial which is set for dedication in September 2011, to coincide with the tenth anniversary of September 11.  When completed, the memorial will be the only unit of the National Park system honoring the heroes of September 11^th and the valor of the passengers and crew of Flight 93.

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This collaboration continues USA TODAY's commitment to environmentally conscious business practices.  USA TODAY has pledged to donate a portion of every EZ-Pay newspaper subscription to support the planting of trees throughout the Flight 93 National Memorial.  EZ-PAY removes the need for paper bills by automatically charging the subscriber's credit card, thus reducing the overall carbon footprint.

The design of the Flight 93 National Memorial emphasizes tree planting as a means of restoring the former coal mine surrounding the crash site to its natural splendor.  A major reforestation effort will begin with the planting of a tree-lined walkway to the crash site and 40 memorial groves, one for each of the passengers and crew on board Flight 93.  When the memorial is completed, over 140,000 trees will have been planted.

"The National Park Foundation is proud to have USA TODAY on our side as we work towards the completion of the Flight 93 National Memorial," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation.  "Combining their commitment to environment and the Foundation's current reforestation efforts at the memorial site is a fitting and timely match."

For more information on the story of Flight 93 and the national memorial, please go to www.honorflight93.org.

For more information about how to subscribe to USA TODAY and participate in the USA TODAY  EZ-Pay subscription program, please go to www.usatodaysubscribe.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks. Chartered by Congress, we work hand in hand with the National Park Service to strengthen and connect all Americans to our parks, so they are protected for present and future generations. It is a legacy that began more than a century ago, when private citizens took action to first establish, then protect and endow our national parks. Today, the National Park Foundation carries on that tradition as the only national charitable partner for America's national parks.  To learn more visit www.nationalparks.org.  

ABOUT THE FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL

On September 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our nation's capital. The memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew.  For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit www.nps.gov/flni. For information on how to support the building of the memorial, go to www.honorflight93.org.

SOURCE National Park Foundation