Residents of Kosciusko and Whitley counties will get the chance to support research to help stop premature birth April 18 at the March for Babies.
The event, hosted by March of Dimes, will be at Center Park, Warsaw, beginning at 1 p.m. Registration will begin at noon.
According to a report from March of Dimes, the most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth, which affects more than half a million babies each year. The March of Dimes issued a Report Card on Premature Birth, giving the U.S. a D and Indiana an overall F. Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities.
March for Babies is aimed at raising funds to support education and research to reduce premature births and support babies born locally. Formerly known as WalkAmerica, March for Babies has raised $1.8 billion for research, community service, education and advocacy for babies since 1970.
"Helping babies be born healthy is vital to the hope and future of our community," said Shannon Pyle, 2009 March for Babies Committee chair. "One day, all babies will be born healthy, but we're going to have to walk to get there."
The public is invited to attend March for Babies. The event consists of a three-mile walk with refreshments and live entertainment.
"In addition to fun activities, the walk is an opportunity to teach children the value of volunteering - how their gifts of time, energy and money, no matter the size, can have big impact when they're part of supporting a worthy cause," said Pyle.
To join in, visit marchforbabies.org or call toll-free 800-921-9255 to sponsor or sign up as an individual or team. Participants also can pick up forms at Kmart.
For more information on March of Dimes, visit marchofdimes.co
