FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hattiesburg, Mississippi (January 14, 2008) -- Kappa Delta Sorority at the University of Southern Mississippi will host a "Shamrock 5-K Fun Run" on Saturday, March 8. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. and the race starts promptly at 8:00 a.m.

"Shamrock Fun Run" is the largest run in Hattiesburg history and consists of a run at the University of Southern Mississippi. It will be held at the Longleaf Trace Gateway entrance on the University of Southern Mississippi campus. The registration fee is $15, which includes run registration and a t-shirt.

Eighty percent of the proceeds collected will remain in Mississippi, benefiting the Hattiesburg Child Abuse Center. The remaining 20 percent will go to Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), the sorority’s national philanthropy, for nationwide public awareness programs. They will join thousands of Kappa Deltas across the country in the fund-raiser to benefit local affiliates and chapters of PCA America.

"Kappa Delta holds its philanthropic endeavors very close to its heart and is committed to making a difference in the number of children who are abused," Brittany Barkley, Shamrock Event Coordinator, says. "We raised over $26, 000 last year for Prevent Child Abuse with all of our Shamrock events, and this year we hope to exceed that goal so these children can live healthier lives."

According to recent PCA America statistics, the number of children abused or neglected in the United States grew by 33 percent to reach a level of 3,244,000 in the last decade. Confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect were estimated at more than one million in 1999. Three children die each day from abuse or neglect in the United States.

Founded in 1897, Kappa Delta Sorority began supporting PCA America in 1981, and began the nationwide Shamrock Event in 1983. More than $6 million has been raised through these events to benefit child abuse prevention efforts across the country.