Hey, Jets fans, it's Meredith G. from the Flight Crew. I had such an exciting weekend and I can't wait to tell you all about it.
It all kicked off on Friday, Oct. 15, when I joined some of the other Flight Crew members to be part of something truly spectacular. The Flight Crew was on hand for the unveiling of our first ever airplane with our partner, JetBlue, at Hanger 81 at JFK International Airport. JetBlue is the official airline of the New York Jets and they truly are a first-class operation. The event was set up with football stands and a mock turf football field. We got the party started with a special dance for everyone who was there.
After we danced, we were present for the speakers, which included Woody Johnson, who you all know is chairman and CEO of the Jets, and Dave Barger, the CEO of JetBlue. There were so many proud employees of both JetBlue and the Jets there and even some Jets alumni stopped by to be part of this special occasion — Curtis Martin, Mark Gastineau and Emerson Boozer were there as special guests.
After all the speakers were done, a huge curtain fell and revealed the massive new airplane, an A320-Airbus. The plane is all white with New York Jets written in green across it and there is even a huge logo of the Jets helmet at the rear of the aircraft. The plane took its first official flight as it left for Colorado to take friends and family of the New York Jets to Denver for Sunday's game. It was a great moment to see the pride the JetBlue employees and crew members showed as they showed their support for our team.
Let's not forget our fans! Jets club seat holders were there for the unveiling as well and were loud and proud. We truly have the best fans in the game and they always show up to support our team!
On Saturday, some of the Flight Crew members and I were at the sixth annual NYC Alliance for Lupus Research walk in Battery Park to support lupus research. The weather was beautiful and sunny and it was a perfect day to be out and active in the city for such a great cause!
The Jets are big supporters of lupus research and I felt so touched to be a part of the ALR walk, which raised over $650,000 that will go directly to helping to find a cure. Woody Johnson was on hand and gave a speech that rallied the crowd. The Jets, JP Morgan Chase and many other supporters helped put this event together and it is always nice to be able to take the time to help those that are in need.
We got the participants loosened up by doing a short warmup on the stage as they all got ready for the 5K walk. When the crowd was ready to go, we stood at the starting line to cheer the walkers on. There were so many people there that you couldn't even see the end of the line.
I was so surprised to find out that lupus affects over 1.4 million Americans. I was so moved that I wanted to do some research and share some facts with you. For those of you that don't know, lupus is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease that can affect any part of the body. Like other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage. It can affect the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys and nervous system. It is a very unpredictable disease and has periods of illness along with periods of remission.
It is treatable with medicine but can be fatal and there is currently no cure, which is why we need to continue to support research to find a cure. The folks at ALR are doing a lot for lupus research and hold walks throughout the country each year to raise money and to support those that are touched by this terrible disease.
I finished my weekend off with a fun-filled day of football on Sunday and was so happy our Gang Green pulled out a great win. The Jets continue to roll on as we are holding onto first place in the AFC East with the win in Denver.
J-E-T-S…Jets! Jets! Jets!
I can't wait to see you all at the stadium on Halloween.
—Meredith G.
