Video: Kelly Clarkson to Kick Off Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign With Live Performance During Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game Halftime Show

Video: Kelly Clarkson to Kick Off Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign With Live Performance During Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Game Halftime Show

Clarkson Calls for Volunteers and Donations as Honorary Chairperson of Nation's Oldest Annual Fundraiser

IRVING, Texas, Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tomorrow, two-time Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson will be the featured performer during the nationally televised halftime of the annual Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game to officially kick off the 2007 Salvation Army Red Kettle Christmas campaign.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/salvationarmy/30072/

Clarkson is also serving as honorary chairperson of the campaign, which will run nationally from Friday, November 23rd through Christmas Eve, December 24th. The Red Kettle campaign, the oldest annual charitable fundraiser of its kind in the United States helps raise money for those who need it most in communities nationwide - providing toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and countless social service programs year-round.

"As a native Texan, I can't think of a bigger thrill than performing during the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game," said Ms. Clarkson. "This is the time of year when people should be thinking about giving back, so it's a perfect fit for me to be supporting the Red Kettle campaign, which helps so many people at Christmas and throughout the year."

The Red Kettle campaign will be launched as part of a special live concert at Texas Stadium during the Cowboy's traditional Thanksgiving Day game. The nationally televised event will be broadcast by CBS during halftime of the Cowboys match-up against the New York Jets. Game coverage begins at 3:15 CST/4:15 EST on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22.

Clarkson, who sang the National Anthem at last year's Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game, will perform songs from her latest album, My December, including the top-ten Billboard Hot 100 single, "Never Again." Since winning the first American Idol competition in 2002, Clarkson has released three albums, including the 5X platinum selling album Breakaway, which won Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Additionally, Clarkson won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the Billboard #1 single "Since U Been Gone."

"Kelly Clarkson is one of the most dynamic performers out there today - and we couldn't be more proud that she's from Dallas," said Jones, Cowboys owner and general manager. "We are happy to continue this American holiday tradition by kicking off The Salvation Army's annual Red Kettle Christmas campaign with a halftime show that is sure to be a touchdown. Using this national stage allows us to start the campaign with a full-out blitz to remind millions of families to give to a Red Kettle this holiday season."

In what has become a holiday tradition, for the past 10 years the Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show has officially launched the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign at the national level. Last year, the overall Red Kettle campaign raised a record $117 million, crossing the $1 billion mark of funds raised since the halftime show partnership began. Previous halftime performers have included Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny's Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Creed, Jessica Simpson, Billy Gillman, Clint Black, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.

"Year in and year out, the Jones family and the Cowboys help us highlight the need to give back. We're happy that Kelly will help us continue the tradition this year at the Kettle Kick Off and as our national chairperson for the campaign," said Commissioner Israel L. Gaither, National Commander of The Salvation Army. "Demand for Salvation Army services - from disaster relief to adult rehabilitation to providing a happy Christmas for families in need - never seems to wane. The continued public support of the Red Kettle campaign is a major reason why we are able to provide these and other critical services in more than 5,000 communities nationwide."

From its humble beginnings 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 volunteers fan out across the country daily to ring bells and solicit spare change donations to the iconic red kettles from holiday shoppers. In 2006, the campaign raised a record $117 million nationwide, with nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars (and the occasional diamond ring or gold tooth) all kept and used to help those in the communities where they were raised. Last year, the funds helped The Salvation Army to provide assistance to more than 34 million Americans in need. In addition to physical kettles, donors can also contribute online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or through a virtual red kettle on any number of corporate or individual websites.

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Over 31 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. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in more than 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Video:

http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/salvationarmy/30072/
Source: Salvation Army

CONTACT: Matt Meenan, +1-202-289-4001, mmeenan@xenophonstrategies.com,
for The Salvation Army; or Emily Robbins of the Dallas Cowboys,
+1-972-556-9359

Web Site:

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

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