Daughtry will perform live at the Dallas Cowboys' Thanksgiving Day game against the Oakland Raiders in a nationally televised halftime show that will air on CBS television network on November 26, 2009 at 3:15 pm CST, Cowboys owner and manager Jerry Jones announced today. The performance will officially kick off The Salvation Army’s 2009 Red Kettle Christmas campaign, the oldest annual charitable fundraiser of its kind in the United States. Through Christmas Eve, December 24, the campaign will raise money for people in need in communities nationwide, providing toys for kids, coats for the homeless, food for the hungry and countless social service programs year-round.

Daughtry will perform a medley of hits from their chart-topping sophomore album, 'Leave This Town,' and multi-platinum debut, Daughtry, during the first Thanksgiving Day halftime show at the new state-of-the-art Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. Since forming Daughtry in 2006, the band has sold nearly seven million albums worldwide, and is currently headlining their first arena tour promoting 'Leave This Town,' which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.

"Thanksgiving is a time for great traditions, like watching the Cowboys' game, giving thanks for the blessings in your life and remembering those less fortunate," says singer Chris Daughtry. "This year, the band will perform at the game during halftime and encourage people to generously support The Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign, a fantastic charity that has a real impact on peoples' lives."

Daughtry's performance will mark the 13th year that the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show officially launches the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign on a nationally televised stage. The event has become an annual holiday tradition for fans in attendance. The Red Kettle campaign has raised more than $1 billion since the partnership began in 1997 and has helped the Army to serve 30 million people each year nationwide. Last year, the campaign raised a record $130 million. Previous halftime performers include Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny's Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, Creed, Jessica Simpson, Billy Gillman, Clint Black, Randy Travis and Reba McEntire.

"We are very pleased that Daughtry will be the centerpiece of the Red Kettle kickoff this year. They have shown that their music connects with the American public like few artists have before," said Jerry Jones, who is also the national honorary Christmas chairperson for The Salvation Army. "If Chris Daughtry and his fellow band members bring the passion and intensity they display in their music to this partnership, the importance of The Salvation Army's work can spread far, reaching American donors of all ages."

As the national honorary Christmas chairperson, Mr. Jones will act as an advocate for the campaign during Christmas by helping to spread the word about The Salvation Army's critical programs year-round. For more than a decade Mr. Jones and his family have been major supporters of The Salvation Army. In 1998, Mr. Jones and his wife, Gene, opened the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Center for Children – a Salvation Army child care center for low-income families in Irving, TX. In 1999, the family received the Evangeline Booth Award, one of the Army's highest national service honors. Mr. Jones is now an Emeritus member of The Salvation Army's National Advisory Board and his daughter, Charlotte Jones Anderson and wife Gene currently serve as active board members.

"Like in years past, the Jones family and the Dallas Cowboys help The Salvation Army express the importance of giving back during the Christmas season. This partnership has evolved into a great holiday tradition, and we are honored that the members of Daughtry will help us continue this tradition at a time when people need help the most," said Major George Hood, National Community Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army. "The state of the economy has forced an increasing amount of people across the country to seek help from The Salvation Army. The continued public support of the Red Kettle campaign is a major reason why we are able to provide families with food, utility assistance, adult rehabilitation from alcohol and drug addiction, disaster relief and other services to more than 5,000 communities nationwide."

From its original beginnings as a fundraiser started by a Salvation Army captain in San Francisco in 1891, the Red Kettle Campaign has grown into one of the most recognizable and important charitable campaigns in the United States. As part of the campaign, more than 25,000 Salvation Army volunteers spread throughout the country to ring bells daily and solicit spare change donations to the iconic red kettles from holiday shoppers. In 2008, the campaign raised more than $130 million nationwide, a new record supported by the public’s nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars (and the occasional diamond ring or gold tooth) all collected and used to help people in the communities where they were raised. Last year, the funds helped The Salvation Army provide food, clothing, toys and other assistance to nearly 30 million Americans in need. In addition to physical kettles, donors can also contribute online at www.salvationarmyusa.org or through a virtual red kettle on any number of corporate or individual websites and Facebook pages.

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