BELLEVUE, Wash., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve the health of infants by preventing birth defects and infant mortality, together with Coinstar, Inc., announced today a new nationwide effort to raise funds to end prematurity, the number one health risk for American newborns.
Coinstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTR), the worldwide leader in self-service coin- counting, now accepts donations on behalf of the March of Dimes through a feature available on most of the 11,000 supermarket-based machines within its national network.
After easily designating the March of Dimes as their beneficiary, individuals can simply pour their loose change into the machine, which automatically counts the coins and prints a tax-deductible receipt for the amount of the donation.
"Founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, the March of Dimes began as a grassroots fundraising organization to defeat the then-raging epidemic of polio. People from across the country sent their dimes to the White House to fund research that resulted in the Salk vaccine. Today polio is no longer a threat in North America," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president, March of Dimes. "We are raising funds to counter the growing number of premature births in this country, a common, costly and serious problem, and we welcome Coinstar's support."
With the defeat of polio, the March of Dimes is re-focused on the challenge of saving babies from birth defects and other serious infant health problems such as prematurity and low birthweight. Over the years, March of Dimes' support has led to breakthroughs that have spared many babies from death or lifelong disability.
"We are very pleased to partner with the March of Dimes to help expand its means for collecting donations," said Dave Cole, chief executive officer, Coinstar, Inc. "With nearly 210 million Americans living within five miles of a Coinstar machine, Coinstar is an easy and convenient way to donate year- round. If just a quarter of those individuals donated $1 in loose change, it would mean more than $52 million for the March of Dimes."
About Coinstar, Inc.
Coinstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSTR) founded in 1991, pioneered self-service coin counting to provide consumers a convenient and innovative means to convert loose coins into cash. Today, Coinstar, Inc. is a multi-national company offering a range of products and services consisting of coin counting, electronic payment solutions, and entertainment services at more than 44,000 retail locations including supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchants, convenience stores, and restaurants. American Coin Merchandising Inc. (Sugarloaf & Folz Vending), and CellCards of Illinois, L.L.C. operate as wholly-owned subsidiaries of Coinstar, Inc. For more information visit http://www.coinstar.com.
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 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 five-year campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Spanish Web site at http://www.nacersano.org or its English website at http://www.marchofdimes.com.
SOURCE Coinstar, Inc.
CONTACT: Sarah Ward of Coinstar, Inc., +1-425-943-8121, sward@coinstar.com; or Todd Dezen of March of Dimes, +1-914-997-4269, TDezen@marchofdimes.com
