March of Dimes sets downtown walk May 2
The March of Dimes has announced the annual WalkAmerica will be held May 2 in downtown McMinnville.
With a goal of helping to save babies from premature birth, the March of Dimes is actively seeking walkers, community director for the March of Dimes Cheryl Bockstruck said. The walk is a three-mile trek through historic McMinnville.
According to the organization, more than 470,000 babies are born prematurely each year, and for half of those births, the cause is unknown. The March of Dimes invested about $1.4 million in Tennessee last year for program services, including national research grants, community grants and local public and professional education, the organization said.
“The March of Dimes is raising money to fund research to find the causes of prematurity and ways to address them,” WalkAmerica volunteer and committee member Dana Green said. “We need the help of everyone in Warren County. Until we have the answers, anyone’s baby could be next.”
This year’s special ambassador is Araya Buchanan, who was born 10-1/2 weeks early and spent 62 days in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Local sponsors are Cumberland Bank, Ben Lomand Telephone/Communications, River Park Hospital, Security Federal Savings Bank, Oster-Sunbeam, Bridgestone/Firestone, Dr Pepper and Clear Channel Radio.
To get involved, contact the organization at its Web site: walkamerica.org. You can also call 1-877-399-DIME.