Atlanta , GA - On the morning of July 24th, every major morning drive-time radio show in Atlanta will donate its airtime to the March of Dimes and encourage listeners to make a donation during their morning commutes.  Twenty-nine major Atlanta radio stations will put competition aside for this unprecedented event and band together to support Breakfast for Babies, a fundraiser for March of Dimes Georgia Chapter, a leader in premature birth awareness and prevention.

Listeners can make donations by either calling the toll free number, 1-866-MOD-BABY or by going online to www.marchofdimes.com/georgia. 

Breakfast locations include:

92.9 Dave FM at Starbucks at Merchant Festival, 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd. in Marietta 
100.5 FM-All The Hits Q100 at The Flying Biscuit, 3515 Northside Parkway in Atlanta 
94.1 FM-Star 94 at the White House restaurant, 3172 Peachtree Rd. in Atlanta
107.9 FM-Hot 107.9 at Chick Fil A, 3410 Camp Creek Pkwy in East Point
790 The Zone at Waffle House, 1825 Pleasant Hill Rd.
107.5 FM-Smooth Jazz at McDonalds, 4326 Roswell Rd. in Atlanta
97.5 FM-Praise and at Chick-Fil-A, 2445 Wesley Chapel Rd. in Decatur
102.5 FM-Grown Folks Music at Chick-Fil-A, 2445 Wesley Chapel Rd. in Decatur
94.9FM-The Bull at the Flying Biscuit, 1001 Piedmont Ave., in Atlanta
92.5 FM-The Bear at multiple Chick-Fil-A locations in South Metro
101.5 FM-Kicks at multiple Chick-Fil-A locations around Atlanta
106.7 FM-Eagle at multiple Chick-Fil-A locations around Atlanta
103.3 FM-V-103 at Gladys and Ron’s Chicken & Waffles, 529 Peachtree St., Atlanta
1380 AM-News & Talk at Gladys and Ron’s Chicken & Waffles, 529 Peachtree St., Atlanta
105.3 FM-El Patron, Doce Sabor, 1360 Powers Ferry Rd., Marietta, GA 30067
105.7 FM-Viva, Doce Sabor, 1360 Powers Ferry Rd., Marietta, GA 30067

“The general managers of the Atlanta radio stations decided they wanted to do something for March of Dimes on a grand scale,” said Brian Ziegler, state director for the March of Dimes Georgia Chapter. “Radio hosted March of Dimes first radioathon in the 1930s after President Roosevelt requested the nation’s help in funding research to find a cure for polio. Today, the March of Dimes needs radio’s help as we fight premature birth.”

March of Dimes has a 70-year history with the radio industry, beginning in 1938 when radio personality Eddie Cantor first coined the term “March of Dimes,” playing on the popular newsreel feature "The March of Time."  Cantor appealed to radio listeners all over the country to send their dimes directly to the White House.  The campaign proved to be hugely successful, and a great partnership was born.

Today in Georgia, more than 13% of babies are born prematurely. These babies face an increased risk of death and serious medical complications. Even the best of care cannot always spare a premature baby from lasting disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing problems. 

While doctors have made tremendous advances in caring for babies born too small and too soon, March of Dimes is working to find out how to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place. Despite decades of research, scientists have not yet developed effective ways to help prevent premature delivery. In fact, the rate of premature birth increased almost 31 percent between 1981 and 2003 (9.4 to 12.3 percent).
 
The following Atlanta radio stations are participating in Breakfast for Babies:

WZGC - 92.9 FM
WSTR - 94.1 FM
WUBL - 94.9 FM
WBTS - 95.5 FM
WKLS - 96.1 FM
WLTM - 96.7 FM
WSRV - 97.1 FM
WPZE - 97.5 FM
WSB - 98.5 FM
WNNX - 99.7 FM
WWWQ - 100.5 FM
WKHX - 101.5 FM
WAMJ- 102.5 FM
WVEE - 103.3 FM
WALR- 104.1 FM
WFSH - 104.7 FM
WBZY - 105.3 FM
WWVA - 105.7 FM   
WYAY - 106.7 FM   
WJZZ - 107.5 FM
WHTA - 107.9 FM
WDWD - 590 AM
WGST - 640 AM
WSB - 750 AM
WQXI - 790 AM
WGKA—920 AM
WAOK- 1380 AM
WCNN – 680 AM
WGKA-920AM
WEKS – 92.5 FM    

About March of Dimes
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. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com/georgia or its Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org.

Media Contact: Jennifer Jones, jajones@fletchermartin.com, 404-720-8149

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