First Airline to Become a National Sponsor for WalkAmerica
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., FEBRUARY 13, 2006 – Continental Airlines (CAL: NYSE) and the March of Dimes today announced a partnership that names Continental the "official airline" of the March of Dimes 2006 National Ambassador Program and a national sponsor of the March of Dimes WalkAmerica.
The March of Dimes National Ambassador crisscrosses the country each year to share a compelling human story with millions of Americans, attending hundreds of meetings, special events, conferences, and fundraising activities to personalize the organization's mission to improve the health of babies.
WalkAmerica takes place each year, usually during the last weekend in April, in about 1,100 communities throughout the United States. The money raised by this event supports March of Dimes programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. Among the top targets of March of Dimes efforts is the growing problem of premature birth, a health crisis that now affects more than half a million babies born in the U.S. every year. Alexa Ostolaza, who serves as the 2006 March of Dimes National Ambassador has her own premature birth story to tell: she was born at 25 weeks (instead of the 37 weeks of a full-term pregnancy), weighing only 1 pound, 4 ounces.
"We are proud to join March of Dimes in the fight to save babies from premature birth, birth defects and other serious health problems," said Larry Kellner, chairman and chief executive officer of Continental Airlines. "We are committed to increasing awareness of this growing problem and look forward to doing our part to raise greatly needed funds to save babies."
As the official airline of the March of Dimes National Ambassador Program, Continental will fly Alexa and her family nationwide to share their special story of hope with all Americans -- including to the White House for a visit with the President. The airline will also encourage its more than 42,000 employees to participate in WalkAmerica.
"We're very excited to have Continental as the first-ever airline to sponsor WalkAmerica nationally," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "It's just amazing to us to see a company as large as Continental make this commitment to the cause of saving babies from death and disability. Flight attendants, pilots, gate agents, ground crew, and managers will work together to help us reach our goal to give all babies their healthy nine months of pregnancy."
Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 3,100 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 151 domestic and 133 international destinations, more than any other carrier in the world. More than 400 additional points are served via SkyTeam alliance airlines. With over 42,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with Continental Express, carries approximately 61 million passengers per year. Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.
Contact:
Todd Dezen (914) 997-4608, tdezen@marchofdimes.com
Elizabeth Lynch (914) 997-4286, elynch@marchofdimes.com
Robert Storace (914) 997-4622, rstorace@marchofdimes.com
Continental Airlines Corporate Communications, (713) 324-5080
