The Army and The Star

The Dallas Cowboys and the Salvation Army work together throughout the year, during the football season and in the off-season to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

The Jones family's dynamic association with the Salvation Army is a visible example of the creative and innovative manner in which the Cowboys can make a difference in the world.

For the past three seasons, the Jones family has dedicated the Cowboys annual Thanksgiving Day halftime show as a national showcase to kickoff the Salvation Army's annual Kettle Drive. The team's association with network television has spawned a donation of $20 million worth of airtime to present nationally televised entertainment extravaganzas that have created a new holiday tradition.

Under the direction of Charlotte Jones Anderson, the Cowboys have produced the annual halftime event and welcomed nationally renowned entertainers Reba McEntire, Randy Travis and Clint Black to highlight each of the three Kettle Kickoff celebrations. The efforts have resulted in increases of over $20 million, for the Army, from the previous year's total while reaching over 180 million people nation-wide.

On the local Salvation Army front, The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Center for Children opened in November of 1998 in conjunction with the Army. The center offers low-income families accessibility to affordable childcare programs that meet the needs of quality care and intellectual development. The Jones family's sponsorship of the Army's annual "Super Lunch" provided the funding for the children's center.

Gene and Jerry are members of the Salvation Army's Dallas County Board and the National Advisory Board respectively. The family was presented the Army's Partner of the Year Award in 1997 and in 1999 received the Evangeline Booth Award, one of the Army's highest national community service awards.