Wheels Up Supports TAPS Assistance for Military Families

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05/25/2023 - 09:00 AM

Local Atlanta family of fallen military hero to fly Wheels Up to TAPS' Annual Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp as part of Wheels Up Cares program

NEW YORK, May 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, leading private aviation company, Wheels Up (NYSE: UP) in partnership with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a non-profit organization that offers compassionate care to those grieving the loss of a military loved one, will fly the family of fallen military hero, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Thoman, from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day Weekend to attend TAPS' Annual Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp.

The Wheels Up partnership with TAPS is part of Wheels Up Cares, a platform that was created to make an impact and lend the brand's support to causes that are important to Wheels Up members, families and friends.

"Through the Wheels Up Cares program, our goal is to bring awareness to organizations like TAPS as they work to care for grieving families of those who gave their lives for our freedom," said Todd Smith, CFO and interim CEO of Wheels Up. "We are honored to play a role in helping these families and easing their travel burden, so they can focus on the benefits of TAPS' Annual Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp instead of on the logistics of getting there."

For the last four years, Wheels Up has supported TAPS by providing flights for attendees of the Annual Military Survivor Seminar, which brings together grieving military families to meet and connect with other survivors through participation in activities, workshops led by experts in grief and loss and small group sharing sessions. During the Seminar, the TAPS Good Grief Camp, a program for children who have lost a loved one who served in the Armed Forces, is offered to provide a safe space for military children to explore grief and embrace healing with other kids their age who understand their loss.

"We're grateful for Wheels Up's continued partnership," said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS Founder and President and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. "These families have made the ultimate sacrifice and Wheels Up's support helps us ensure that they continue to receive the resources and care they need throughout the grieving process."

Since Wheels Up's founding, the company has painted the livery of five Beechcraft KingAir350i planes, which are an active part of the Wheels Up fleet, as flying symbols of awareness for each cause represented. In partnership with TAPS, Wheels Up unveiled a camouflage-painted Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft in 2019, which honors those in the military who bravely serve our country. The plane is a year-round symbol of Wheels Up's support for TAPS.

The Wheels Up Cares fleet also includes the Orange Plane for Meals Up and Feeding America, the Red Plane for the American Heart Association and Simon's Heart, the Teal Plane for Ovarian Cancer Awareness, and the Pink Plane for Breast Cancer Awareness and the Dubin Breast Center of the Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai.

More information about Wheels Up Cares and the partnership with TAPS, visit www.wheelsup.com/taps.

About Wheels Up
Wheels Up is a leading provider of on-demand private aviation in the U.S. and one of the largest private aviation companies in the world. Wheels Up offers a complete global aviation solution with a large, modern and diverse fleet, backed by an uncompromising commitment to safety and service. Customers can access membership programs, charter, aircraft management services and whole aircraft sales — as well as unique commercial travel benefits through a strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines. The Wheels Up Services brands also offer freight, safety & security solutions and managed services to individuals, industry, government and civil organizations.

Wheels Up is guided by the mission to connect flyers to private aircraft—and one another—and deliver exceptional, personalized experiences. Powered by a global private aviation marketplace connecting its base of more than 12,000 members and customers to a network of more than 1,500 safety-vetted and verified private aircraft, Wheels Up is widening the aperture of private travel for millions of consumers globally. With the Wheels Up mobile app, members and customers have the digital convenience to search, book and fly.

To learn more about Wheels Up, go to Wheelsup.com.

About TAPS
TAPS, a national nonprofit, was founded by military-loss survivor, Bonnie Carroll in 1994. The TAPS name is synonymous with 24/7 support for all grieving a military or veteran death. TAPS provides tangible and emotional resources each step of a survivor's walk through grief with a combination of peer-based support, the 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline, in-person events, community-based care, casework assistance, and grief and trauma resources. Since 1994, TAPS has assisted more than 100,000 surviving family members, casualty assistance officers, chaplains, and other bereavement supporters. For more information go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free TAPS resource and information helpline at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).