Chicago –Energized by their common mission to save babies, 10,000 walkers made their way to Chicago's Grant Park early Sunday morning, April 24th for the 35th annual March of Dimes WalkAmerica, despite the chilly weather. Thousands of others also laced up their walking shoes this weekend at five suburban WalkAmerica locations in Naperville, St. Charles, Highland Park, Schaumburg, and Tinley Park. In the Chicagoland area enthusiastic participants raised $2 million for the March of Dimes campaign to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
In Chicago, the Walk began in Grant Park at Columbus and Roosevelt and moved north to North Avenue, down the lakefront and back to the Museum Campus. Leading the walk was the Novosel Family of Chicago, acting as this year's Lakefront Ambassador Family. The Novosels support the March of Dimes' mission, especially since their twins, Ryan and Luke, were born prematurely at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Luke weighed 1 lb. 15 oz. and Ryan 1 lb. 11 oz. and both were 12 inches long.
WalkAmerica is a national event that is the March of Dimes leading source of revenue. It has raised more than $1 billion for healthy babies since it began in 1970. This year's WalkAmerica will help support research and education for the National Prematurity Campaign. Each year more than 480,000 babies are born premature and prematurity is the leading cause of death in the first month of life. Ninety-two cents of every dollar raised in Illinois goes into research as well as education, advocacy and community service programs to help all babies have a healthy start in life. The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects 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.
WalkAmerica is sponsored nationally by CIGNA, Kmart, Discovery Health Channel, FedEx, Prevention Magazine, Farmers Insurance, Mead Johnson, and Famous Footwear. Local sponsors include Absopure, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, American Airlines, Careerbuilder.com, Citibank, LaSalle Bank Corporation, Marsh/Mercer, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Trizec, TCF Bank, and NBC5.
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