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Goodyear Milestone Inspires "Spirit of Innovation Day" Celebration at Carson, Calif. Base on June 21

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company will commemorate the 10-year milestone of the Goodyear Blimp Spirit of Innovation christening with an innovation community showcase. The public event, Spirit of Innovation Day, will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2016 from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Activities will include ground tours of the Goodyear Blimp Spirit of Innovation, Goodyear product innovations display presented by Just Tires and Goodyear Blimp STEM Education Project exhibits presented by St. Marks Elementary–Downey, Meadows Elementary School–Manhattan Beach and Gardena-based sustainability non-profit Trash for Teaching.

Registration is simple and encouraged for blimp fans who wish to attend the event. Individuals and groups can register at www.goodyearblimpSOIDay.eventbrite.com. Parking will be available at the base located at 19200 S. Main Street, Gardena, CA 90248.

Spirit of Innovation is the oldest blimp in Goodyear's fleet and the last GZ-20 model of its kind in the world. It was christened on June 21, 2006 by President of International Speedway Corporation and NASCAR board of directors member Lesa France Kennedy and Lynn Keegan, the wife of former Goodyear Chairman and CEO Bob Keegan. The blimp was the first in Goodyear's fleet to be named by the public through an online "Name-the-Blimp" contest; the second was Wingfoot One in 2014.

Throughout its career, Spirit of Innovation has flown over hundreds of prominent sports and entertainment events across the United States, including the NBA Finals, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Academy Awards, the Zurich Classic and two Super Bowl Weeks.

With the introductions of new, state-of-the-art Goodyear Blimp models, Wingfoot One and Wingfoot Two, the Carson-based blimp Spirit of Innovation is now the oldest in Goodyear's fleet and the last blimp of its kind in the world. Previously based in Pompano Beach, Florida, the blimp arrived in Los Angeles in September 2015 to replace the retired Spirit of America blimp at the Goodyear Airship Operations Base in Carson, Calif.

Spirit of Innovation will remain in California through late 2017, when it will be retired and replaced by Wingfoot Two, which currently operates in Ohio.

About The Goodyear Airship Fleet

In 2015, Goodyear celebrated 90 years of its iconic brand ambassador-the Goodyear Blimp–and 60 years of live aerial broadcasting. Since its first aerial broadcast over the 1955 Rose Bowl, the Goodyear Blimp has become synonymous with the largest, most-watched sporting events in the world. Goodyear's blimps have been a constant reminder that Goodyear is the more driven tire brand that consumers can find in the air, on the track and on the road.

Today, the fleet consists of three North American airships — Spirit of Innovation in Carson, Calif.; Wingfoot One in Pompano Beach, Fla.; and Wingfoot Two in Akron, Ohio.

About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies and is recognized as the "world's most admired tiremaker" by Fortune magazine. It employs about 66,000 people and manufactures its products in 49 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

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Blimp Facts: News
Do the Goodyear blimps do other things besides TV and passenger rides? Yes, the Goodyear blimps give back to their communities by providing valuable flight time to organizations researching the environmental health of local areas they serve. Whale migration, river ecology and wildlife maintenance to name a few.