US Airways Awards $125,000 In Grants: Arizona Opera And Ballet Arizona Get Facilities Support

TEMPE, Ariz., Feb. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The US Airways (NYSE: LCC) Community Foundation has awarded a total of $125,000 in grants to Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona to assist in facilities renovation.

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"US Airways is honored to support nonprofit organizations that focus on sustainable change and result in healthy, vibrant communities," said Elise Eberwein, executive vice president of People, Communications and Public Affairs for US Airways. "With our expanded funding priorities, the Foundation can help organizations like the Opera and Ballet perform much-need facilities improvements."

The US Airways Community Foundation is expanding its funding priorities to allow for a one-time, mission critical major capital expenditure such as a major roof repair, the purchase of a new outreach vehicle or the installation of new, energy-efficient windows. In the past, only formalized capital campaigns for brick and mortar building projects were eligible for support. 

Specifically, the grants include:

• $75,000 contribution to the Arizona Opera's new Opera Center in downtown Phoenix's Arts Corridor. Arizona Opera will be renovating the existing 16,800 square foot building and constructing two new, adjacent buildings. The new Opera Center will allow annual cost savings of more than $300,000 through the consolidation of operations, elimination of leased space, and divestiture of real property.
• $50,000 additional gift to Ballet Arizona for a total contribution of $75,000 for the major building renovation of an existing property. The new facility will make it possible for Ballet Arizona to double the size of its school and enhance the annual earned revenues as well as increased revenue through programs not previously available because of space limitations.

Grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations located in and providing services in the airline's hub and focus cities of Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. for new building construction or the major renovation or expansion of an existing facility. The US Airways Community Foundation focuses on three key areas of support:  Improving and expanding educational opportunities that teach skills to succeed in school and gain meaningful employment; programs that provide basic human needs to help encourage, sustain and develop economic self-reliance, and access to major arts and culture organizations that broaden artistic excellence.

Applications for the 2013 US Airways Community Foundation grant are available now and interested nonprofit organizations should visit www.usairways.com/corporategiving for more information. The deadline for 2013 application submission is Oct. 1.

About US Airways

US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,000 flights per day and serves 198 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide, operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,329 airports in 194 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix, and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance magazine presented US Airways with the 2012 Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Year Award for demonstrating outstanding achievement and innovation in the area of technical operations. Military Times Edge magazine named US Airways as a Best of Vets employer in 2011 and 2012. US Airways was, for the third year in a row, the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine's 50 Report. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies' attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways. (LCCG)

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SOURCE US Airways