Continental Airlines Employees to Turn Out By the Thousands for March Of Dimes WalkAmerica

HOUSTON, April 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- More than 4,000 Continental Airlines employees, family members and friends are preparing to participate this Sunday, April 30, as part of the Continental team in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica. Continental is a national sponsor of the March of Dimes WalkAmerica and is the "official airline" of the March of Dimes 2006 National Ambassador Program.

"Our support for March of Dimes is off to a strong start," said Larry Kellner, chairman and CEO of Continental. "Employees and their families and friends have embraced the concept of walking together to raise funds to help save babies from the complications of premature birth."

Special blue t-shirts will be worn by Continental participants. Employees have registered to walk at more than 150 locations in the U.S., with the largest contingents expected in Houston, New York City and Cleveland, the locations of the airline's mainland hubs.

WalkAmerica takes place each year 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

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 .