Adelante! Fund joins airline in essay competition about Latin American cultural influence HOUSTON, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) has teamed up with the Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund to offer "Destino: Latinoamerica" ("Destination: Latin America"), an essay contest for Hispanic college students. Latin America's impact on U.S. culture and society is the theme of the contest. First- and second-place winners, who will receive Continental Airlines tickets, will be recognized in October at Adelante's annual Leadership Institute for Hispanic college students in San Antonio. "As the second-largest air carrier into Latin America, Continental is proud to partner with Adelante on the 'Destino: Latinoamerica' program helping to prepare Hispanic students for the highly competitive job market and leadership opportunities of tomorrow," said John Slater, staff vice president, Latin America, Continental. "Adelante inspires Hispanic students to graduate from college by providing the tools they need to take on leadership roles in society," said Andria Castillo, executive director, Adelante, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to increase Hispanic college graduation rates. "Continental Airlines' 'Destino: Latinoamerica' essay contest provides a way for Latino students to polish their writing skills as they explore their culture and that of their ancestors." First prize is four Continental Airlines tickets for any Continental destination in the continental U.S., Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean; second-place winners will receive two tickets. The first-place essay also will be posted on Adelante's Web site, http://www.adelantefund.org/. In addition, Continental will provide tickets for several Adelante scholarship winners to attend the Leadership Institute. Deadline for essay submission is May 1, 2009. Essays must be between 200-300 words and may be written in English or Spanish. The winner must agree to allow use of his/her name and likeness in publicity materials. Judges, who will include representatives from Continental and Adelante's leadership advisory board, will evaluate the essays for clarity of expression and originality. The contest is open to legal U.S. residents of Hispanic descent currently enrolled in a college or university. All majors are accepted, but participants must have at least a 3.0 grade point average. "Destino: Latinoamerica" contest participants should submit their essays; a cover letter with name, address, telephone, college name, major and date of graduation; and proof of enrollment and GPA, via e-mail to or to the address listed below: Sarah Ramos Program Coordinator, Adelante U.S. Education Fund Continental Airlines "Destino: Latinoamerica" Contest 8415 Datapoint Drive, Ste. 400 San Antonio, Texas 78229 About Continental Airlines Latin America and the Caribbean account for more than half of Continental Airlines' international destinations. Continental offers service to 69 destinations in 23 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including nonstop service to 29 destinations in Mexico - more than any other airline. Continental also offers nonstop service to more Central American cities (10) than any other U.S. airline and serves seven South American destinations. A pioneer in "Latinization," Continental offers a number of Spanish-language services, including bilingual flight attendants on many flights to Latin America; bilingual airport personnel, reservations agents and signage; and a Spanish-language Web site at http://www.continental.com/espanol. Passengers also may make reservations in Spanish at 1-800-537-9222. Continental Airlines has been named to Hispanic Magazine's list of "100 Best Companies for Hispanics" 10 times and in summer 2008 was named to Latin Business Magazine's Diversity Honor Roll for the third consecutive year. About Adelante U.S. Education Leadership Fund The Adelante! U.S. Education Leadership Fund, a national nonprofit organization based in San Antonio, Texas, was established in 1993 to address the issue of lack of college attendance and graduation among U.S. Hispanics. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and the Miller Brewing Company are the founding organizations of the Adelante Fund, whose mission is to inspire Hispanic students to graduate and lead through scholarship, internship, and leadership training. Adelante continues that same focus today, providing financial support to enable Hispanic students to graduate from college and preparing them for leadership roles upon entering the workforce. Since its designation as a 501(c)3 organization in 1997, the Adelante Fund has awarded nearly $1 million in scholarships to Hispanic undergraduate students across the nation, and has provided career development, leadership training and internship opportunities to hundreds of promising young Hispanic college students. For more information or to make a donation, please visit http://www.adelantefund.org/ or contact Andria Castillo, Executive Director, at 210-692-1971 or . DATASOURCE: Continental Airlines CONTACT: Corporate Communications of Continental Airlines, +1-713-324-5080, Web Site: http://www.continental.com/

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