Celebrities, Athletes, Politicians Join Forces in Clear Channel Radio's Radiothon for Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial

In celebration of the 45th anniversary of the March on Washington and the ‘I Have a Dream' speech, Clear Channel Radio and the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. have joined forces to raise funds for the Memorial to be erected on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. This exciting initiative will be showcased on participating Clear Channel radio stations, August 1-28, 2008, featuring celebrities, athletes, and elected officials sharing their thoughts about the importance of Dr. King and the significance of building a national memorial to honor his ideals of democracy, justice, hope and love.  This month-long campaign will culminate on Thursday, August 28th when Clear Channel stations in various cities across the U.S. hit the airwaves with a “Build The Dream” Radiothon.

“This Memorial will serve as a lasting reminder to all Americans about the importance of diversity,” said Mark Mays, Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel. “We are thrilled that through the reach of our radio stations and the generosity of our listeners we honor Dr. King and his work.” 

More than 25 Clear Channel urban radio stations nationwide will participate in the radiothon, including those in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Tampa.  Celebrity participants include: Aretha Franklin, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephanie Mills, Vivica Fox, Soledad O'Brien, and Derek Luke, among others. Listeners will be directed to (800) MLK-1386 to make a donation and learn more. All donations to the Memorial are tax deductible.

“We are thankful that Clear Channel has joined the Memorial reaching out to listeners nationwide to encourage them to become a part of history by making a donation to build a lasting memorial to Dr. King,” said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation.  “Anyone who makes a donation of any amount will be listed in the Founding Sponsor Roll of Honor on a kiosk in the Memorial's Bookstore.”

The Memorial Foundation has already raised $94.8 million and Phase I Site Preparation has commenced.  Clear Channel joins a growing list of major donors to the Memorial including:  General Motors, Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation, NBA/WNBA, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Walt Disney Company Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ford Motor Fund, Toyota, AARP, AFLAC, BP America, Inc., CIGNA, Credit Unions of the United States, DuPont, ExxonMobil Foundation, Fannie Mae Corporation, FedEx Corporation, GE, Ann and Joel Horowitz Family Foundation, Sheila C. Johnson-Newman, Lehman Brothers, George Lucas, MacFarlane Partners, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, McDonald's Corporation, MetLife Foundation, National Association of Realtors (NAR), National Education Association (NEA), Nationwide Foundation, PepsiCo Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Pfizer Foundation, Prudential Financial, Inc., Shell Oil Company, State Farm Insurance, Verizon Foundation, Viacom, Wal-Mart and Morehouse College, among others.

The following Clear Channel Radio stations, designated by market below, will participate in the radiothon: 

* Chicago, IL   - WGCI, WGRB, WVAZ 
* New York, NY  - WWPR 
* Philadelphia, PA  - WDAS 
* Baltimore, MD  - WCAO
* Detroit, MI  - WJLB, WMXD 
* Miami, FL - WMIB
* Memphis, TN - KJMS, WHAL
* Little Rock, AK - KHLR
* Greensboro, NC  - WMKS 
* Milwaukee, WI  - WKKV 
* Jacksonville, FL   - WJBT, WSOL 
* Columbia, SC  - WXBT 
* Norfolk, VA  - WOWI, WKUS 
* Syracuse, NY  -  WPHR
* Tampa, FL  - WBTP 
* New Orleans – WQUE, WYLD-FM
* St. Louis, MO  - KMJM, KATZ
* Savannah, GA  - WLVH, WQBT

About the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.  Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a Memorial honoring Dr. King to be built in Washington, D.C.  The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006. McKissack & McKissack/Turner Construction Company/Gilford Corporation/Tompkins Builders, Inc.  Joint Venture will serve as the Design-Build Team. McKissack & McKissack is the oldest minority-owned architectural firm in the United States.  For more information, please visit www.mlkradiothon.org.