Continental Flies High to Save Babies

CLEVELAND, April 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Continental Airlines staff combine tremendous creativity and tireless effort to raise over $10,000 for the March of Dimes WalkAmerica which will take place on April 29th. Through food sales, raffles, carnival games and music, the MX Hanger at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport was filled with people and excitement.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070420/CLF116 )

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson attended the event to demonstrate his patronage to the Continental employees and the important cause they were supporting. Also in attendance, to communicate his involvement with the March of Dimes was WTAM radio personality Bill Wills. Senior Director for Continental Airlines Robbie Anderson, among other company leaders, joined in on the fun by allowing employees to dunk them in the dunk tanks and have pies thrown in their faces. "This event is a great example of Continental's culture of Working Together to support such a great cause. I couldn't be more proud of my team here at Continental, as well as airport-wide business partners and employees who came together to make this happen," noted Anderson.

Most attention was focused on the wing-eating contest. Chicken wings supplied by Buffalo Wild Wings in Strongsville were provided for contestants who paid an entry fee to compete. Bill Wills awarded the famous "chicken trophy" to Continental employee Jim Montgomery who ate the most wings in the main event, 37 in just 15 minutes. Ebony Wright of Continental raised the most money within the departmental competition, totaling over $1,000.

"This event shows what can be accomplished when a handful of dedicated employees have the support of their management to come together and get behind a great cause," said Scott Sterneckert, Executive Director for the March of Dimes in Northeast Ohio. "Continental is a National Sponsor of WalkAmerica, and their Cleveland team really flew high today to help save babies," he added.

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 www.marchofdimes.com/ohio or the Spanish language Web site at nacersano.org. To join WalkAmerica, visit www.walkamerica.org