March Of Dimes Prepares To WalkAmerica

The March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter will hold its largest annual fundraiser, WalkAmerica, at the City Center Green on Main Street in Danbury on Sunday, April 30. Registration for the Candlewood Regional WalkAmerica will begin at 9 am, and the walk will begin at 10.

Proceeds will benefit the March of Dimes mission of improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. For more information and to register, call 203-849-9800, extension 16, or visit www.walkamerica.org.

The Candlewood Regional WalkAmerica planning committee will meet on Friday, February 10, at 8:30 am at Boehringer Ingelheim and invites interested volunteers to attend. Committee meetings will be held at Boehringer Ingelheim on March 10, March 24, April 14, and April 21.

In Connecticut, one of every ten babies is born premature and nationwide is the leading cause of newborn death. The national health crisis has increased 29 percent since 1981. Direct health care costs to employers for a premature baby average $41,610 — 15 times higher than the $2,830 for a healthy, full-term delivery.

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 website at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language website at nacersano.org.