Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard has autographed lots of different types of memorabilia through the years for his millions of fans. But on Tuesday he added a new item to the list: A Boeing 717 airplane.
On Tuesday, Dwight became an official spokesman for AirTran Airways and was on hand as the airline unveiled an Orlando Magic-themed plane. Dwight took one of the first rides on the plane, along with several kids from the Parramore Kidz Zone, a group supported by the Dwight D. Howard Foundation.
To celebrate the addition of Dwight as a spokesman and becoming the official airline of the Magic and the new Amway Center, AirTran donated $5,000 to the Dwight D. Howard foundation and the Orlando Magic Youth Fund on Tuesday.
Dwight said he’s been in talks with Air Tran representatives about a partnership for two years, and he’s excited about joining a company that believes in him and his widespread work in the community.
“It means a lot to me. AirTran has been a great partner with the Magic and they’ve also been there to support my foundation,’’ Dwight said. “It just feels good that they believe in me. We were talking earlier about all of the stuff that we want to do for all of the underprivileged kids in Orlando. It’s really amazing that there are a lot of people out there who really care about the community and that I’m not alone.’’
Dwight joins NBA quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Matt Ryan, baseball stars Tom Glavine and Ryan Braun, IndyCar racer Danica Patrick and hockey stars Ilya Kovalchuk and Kari Lehtonen as AirTran endorsers. Dwight’s likeness will be featured in radio, online and billboard advertising in the coming months.
“Dwight Howard is one of the most outstanding young athletes in sports today. His accomplishments on the court and his community involvement off the court make him a great fit for AirTran Airways and what we strive to do as the hometown airline,’’ said Tad Hutcheson, AirTran’s VP of marketing and sales. “We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Dwight.’’
Dwight was in awe of the shiny, new plane painted just for the Magic. The body of the plane is blue, white and black, the tail features the Magic’s logo and the engines on both sides are adorned with the words “ORLANDO MAGIC.’’ It is the only NBA-themed plane in use today, although Air Tran does have three NFL-themed planes (Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts).
“I’ve never signed an airplane before. To know that it’s going to be one there forever, that feels good,’’ Dwight said. “It’s a really nice design. When you see it in the air you are going to know that it is a Magic plane.’’
Dwight said his partnership with AirTran will allow him to continue to make the Magic into one of the NBA’s most popular and well-known teams. Dwight helped the Magic reach the NBA Finals last June, and he wants fans outside of Florida to think of the Magic when they think of Orlando.
“The first thing I said when I got here is that I want Orlando to be well-known and not just for Disney World,’’ Dwight said. “Everybody has always thought about Disney when they have thought about our town. But I want people to know there’s more to Orlando than just Disney and that the Magic are a really good organization.’’
