Operation Gridiron Airlift

Est. 2008

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Operation Gridiron Airlift is featured on YouTube.

Video 1 - Operation Gridiron Airlift Promotional Video (2009) Click here

Video 2 - Receiving a football donation at a WMU Football Game (11-24-2009) Click here

    Recent News   

High schools in Michigan and Ohio conducted football collection drives in support of Operation Gridiron Airlift. They asking their fans and students to bring new or used footballs to designated home games which were turned over to OGA for shipment to our troops serving overseas. Thank you to all of these high schools for showing your support for the troops!

High Schools in Michigan

October 9 - Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central Fighting Irish hosted the Galesburg-Augusta Rams

October 23 - Kalamazoo Christian Comets hosted the Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Central Fighting Irish

High Schools in Ohio

October 30 - Orrville Red Riders hosted the Wooster Generals

About Operation Gridiron Airlift

For our troops serving overseas, the simplest gifts from home are always a welcome sight and very much appreciated. And what is more American than a football? Sometimes, just tossing a football around or organizing a friendly game while deployed overseas can be a welcome diversion, bringing a bit of home to a foreign location. That's why Operation Gridiron Airlift is collecting new and used footballs, that are in good condition, and sending them to our troops serving overseas. 

To date, footballs from Operation Gridiron Airlift have made their way to service men and women serving in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Italy and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Pat Tillman Memorial USO Center at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan has received multiple shipments of donated footballs.

Many pro football leagues, teams and universities have donated footballs embossed with their official school or league logo.

• To view some of the donated footballs, click here.

• To see some of the footballs being used overseas, click here.

• To read some of the letters we have received, click here.

• To see our tribute to Pat Tillman, click here.

The organizer of Operation Gridiron Airlift is retired Master Sergeant Randy Snow of Kalamazoo, Michigan. He spent 21 years serving in the Michigan Air National Guard and retired as a member of the Battle Creek ANG Base in 2002. Since 2003, he has covered the Arena Football League, arenafootball2, the Continental Indoor Football League, United Indoor Football and the Indoor Football League. He has also covered the All American Football League and the Canadian Football League. His work can be found on ArenaFan.com, OurSportsCentral.com and AmericanChronicle.com.

Here is a list of contributors who have donated footballs to Operation Gridiron Airlift;

    Pro Football Leagues

• The National Football League / Detroit Lions (2008)

• The Arena Football League / Grand Rapids Rampage (2008)

• Arena Football One / Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (2009)

• The Continental Indoor Football League / Kalamazoo Xplosion (2008)

• The Intense Football League / San Angelo Stampede Express (2008)

    Colleges

• The United States Air Force Academy (Mountain West Conference) (2008)

• Western Michigan University (Mid-American Conference) (2008)

• Central Michigan University (Mid-American Conference) (2008)

• Michigan State University (Big Ten Conference) (2009)

• Purdue University (Big Ten Conference) (2008)

• Arizona State University (Pac-10 Conference) (2009)

    High Schools

• Hackett Catholic Central High School, Kalamazoo, Michigan (2009)

• Kalamazoo Christian High School, Kalamazoo, Michigan (2009)

• Orrville High School, Orrville, Ohio (2009)

• Wooster High School, Wooster, Ohio (2009)

    Other

• FlexFab, LLC of Hastings, Michigan (2008/2010)

• Other Private Donations

For more information, or to make a donation, contact Randy at RandySnow22@yahoo.com.

Previous Operation Gridiron Airlift Press Releases

Operation Gridiron Airlift Delivers Footballs to Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base (February 20, 2010)

FlexFab LLC Makes Second Donation to Operation Gridiron Airlift (February 15, 2010)

Footballs on their way to Iraq and Italy (January 22, 2010)

Operation Gridiron Airlift featured on YouTube (January 9, 2010)

Two Ohio High Schools Donate to Operation Gridiron Airlift (November 28, 2009)

Kalamazoo Christian High School Makes Donation to Operation Gridiron Airlift (November 6, 2009)

Hackett High School Donates to Operation Gridiron Airlift (October 14, 2009)

af2 Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz Donate to the Troops (September 24, 2009)

Michigan State Footballs Headed to the Troops (September 16, 2009)

Arizona State Donates Footballs to OGA (March 16, 2009)

100 Footballs Delivered for Shipment to the Troops (October 18,2008)

Central Michigan University Donates to Operation Gridiron Airlift (August 8, 2008)

Detroit Lions Donate Practice Footballs to the Troops (June 9, 2008)

Football Fans Will Get Their Chance to Donate at Two CIFL Games (May 9, 2008)

United States Air Force Academy Donates to the Troops (April 18, 2008)

Operation Gridiron Airlift is Underway (January 25, 2008)

Other Links

Kalamazoo Gazette Newspaper Article about Operation Gridiron Airlift (June 23, 2008)

Orrville Goal: 50 Footballs (October 29, 2009)

Rivalry for a Cause (October 29, 2009)