When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. We've been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $2 billion to benefit all babies.
Family teams are the heart of our event. Made up of friends and family members, they walk to celebrate, honor or remember the babies and children who have touched their lives. Everyone has their own story, but we all share the same goal — stronger, healthier babies.
The March of Dimes has always approached its mission with a spirit of adventure. Born on the eve of World War II as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP), the Foundation achieved an instantaneous popularity that reflected the contemporary popularity of its founder, Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR's polio disability -- he was never able to walk again on his own after contracting polio -- translated into a systematic program to uncover the mysteries of polio and to lend a helping hand to Americans suffering from the disease. The war years were a time of titanic struggle, and efforts to launch the March of Dimes were boosted by radio, Hollywood, and the personal appeal of the president.
Each year the March of Dimes selects a special child whose life was saved by our research, programs or educational campaigns to give a face to our mission. As a living symbol of the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality, the National Ambassador plays a vital role in our efforts to save babies.
Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. We carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, birth defects, low birthweight.
For more information about the March of Dimes or to find out how you can help, visit
http://www.marchofdimes.com
Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. We carry out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researc...