Lakeland, FL — The March of Dimes today announced Publix Super Markets, Inc. as the number 4 team nationwide out of 20,000 corporate teams for March for Babies 2008.  One of the 10 largest-volume supermarket chains in the United States with locations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Alabama, Publix raised an incredible $3.2 million during its three week, in-store fund-raising campaign.  Publix raised $2.1 million in the Florida Chapter.

The company’s 998 stores and some 141,000 employees received donations from customers that purchased a paper cutout and wrote their own name or the name of a baby to display inside the store.  Publix associates coupled with family and friends also joined the Publix Team and supported local March of Dimes March for Babies campaigns by providing food, volunteers, and individual fund raising efforts.

“Publix’s ability to engage its customers at the grassroots level is at the heart of the campaign’s fund-raising success,” said Paula Howell, March of Dimes East Region Vice President.  “As a leader among our top corporate teams with associates from their five-state foot print, Publix is helping the March of Dimes raise awareness of the growing crisis of premature birth and supporting our efforts to find the answers and give hope to families in need.”  In their 13-year involvement as a sponsor and March for Babies team, Publix Super Markets has raised more than $29 million for the March of Dimes.  

March for Babies is the March of Dimes biggest fundraiser and America’s favorite walking event. Money raised in March for Babies supports the March of Dimes mission to give every baby a healthy start. It is used to fund important research and community programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. Since 1970, the event has raised an incredible $1.8 billion to benefit all babies.  This year, March for Babies will take place in more than 900 communities across the United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, at the end of April.  Interested walkers and donors can visit marchforbabies.org to find a walk site, date or look up the local March of Dimes chapter.

Founded in 1930, Publix Super Markets is the largest and fastest-growing employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States with 998 stores in five states across the southeast.  More information about Publix Super Markets is available on their Web site at publix.com under the “About Us” section.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.  With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.