29 Jan Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awards $500K Grant to Air Serv International
Warrenton, VA. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to Air Serv International, which will support current and future humanitarian flight operations. The one-time grant was created and awarded in memory of Barron Hilton, who passed away in September of 2019, and honors his combined legacies as a philanthropist, humanitarian, and lifelong aviator.
The partnership between Air Serv and the Hilton Foundation will immediately and directly impact the populations currently served by Air Serv programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan, which number in the millions. Thirty six percent of the grant has been allocated toward funding the cost of programs actively engaged in Ebola response efforts and supporting communities affected by war, where air support is critical in the delivery of aid and medical services. A second portion of the funds will be reserved for emergency disaster relief, while the remaining amount will support future programs in the coming year.
The Hilton Foundation was created in 1944 by international business pioneer Conrad N. Hilton, who founded Hilton Hotels and left his fortune to help individuals throughout the world living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage. The Foundation invests in 11 program areas, including providing access to safe water, supporting transition-age foster youth, ending chronic homelessness, hospitality workforce development, disaster relief and recovery, helping young children affected by HIV and AIDS, and supporting the work of Catholic sisters. Foundation assets increased from approximately $2.9 billion to $6.3 billion following the 2019 passing of Barron Hilton who, like his father, pledged virtually his entire estate to the Foundation.
With the generous support of entities such as the Hilton Foundation, Air Serv aircraft continue to serve as the bridge connecting lifesaving aid with those who need it the most. For information about humanitarian programs or to make a donation in support of emergency response efforts, please visit www.airserv.org