SNOWBALLEXPRESS.ORG the charity for the children of our fallen military heroes

Yesterday (11/30) I flew from Connecticut to Dallas for a meeting. At the Hartford airport gate I noticed two women and a young girl that was maybe 11. They stood out a bit - I could tell they were not experienced travelers and not the returning tired and frazzled business people you typically see on a Friday afternoon flight from the Northeast to Dallas.  If it was a flight to Orlando it would have made a little more sense......

I also noticed the American Airlines gate agents were holding small American flags and there were  hand-made signs on the wall by the jetway entrance welcoming three Snowball Express families. These people were allowed to board first so I knew something was up. Once we were all boarded the flight attendant announced these were families of fallen military service members traveling to Dallas-Fort Worth for 5 days.

When we got off the plane at DFW the airport was full of families and volunteers wearing blue Snowball Express t-shirts. I did a little more research online and found out there were 1,700 coming to the event from all over the country. During the five days the itinerary includes the Dallas Children's Parade, Six Flags, a rodeo, concerts, the Fort Worth Stockyards and a whole bunch more.

It was sad and exciting to see the families in DFW. Lots of kids that looked like they were connecting with a lot of old friends. I'm still thinking about that little girl and what her story was. Did she lose a mom or a dad? A heavy price to pay.

Snowball Express has been going for seven years now, starting in Southern California in 2006 and moving to the Dallas area in 2009. A worthy charity for volunteering and/or a donation.