The six-mile walk will begin at 9am at the intersection of Hines Drive and Ann Arbor Trail and will feature checkpoints sponsored by local companies and shuttle bus stops every half-mile along the route.  After the walk, participants will enjoy a live band, free massages, free moonwalk ride for kids, free lunch and a new “dog park” play area.  Families, babies, school groups, companies, churches and dogs are welcome to attend. 

The statewide honorary chair for Michigan’s WalkAmerica is UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. 

Honorary chair for the Hines Park location is Wayne County Executive and March of Dimes Eastern Division Board Chairman Robert Ficano.  Under his leadership, the event raised more than $214,000 for premature babies in 2003.  This year, the goal has been set at $220,000. 

Proceeds raised by WalkAmerica help the March of Dimes save babies through programs of research, community service, advocacy and education.  In 2003, the March of Dimes launched a five-year, $75 million national campaign to educate women to the signs and symptoms of preterm labor, raise funds to conduct needed research, and reduce the rate of premature birth by 15 percent by 2007. 

National WalkAmerica sponsors are Cigna, Discovery Health Channel, Famous Footwear and Kmart.  Comcast is a statewide sponsor of WalkAmerica in Michigan.  Local sponsors include WJR, WDVD, WDRQ, Pepsi and The Detroit Free Press.

Those interested in participating in WalkAmerica and joining thousands of Michigan residents to save babies can register by calling 1-800-BIG-WALK or visiting www.walkamerica.org. 

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.  More information is available on the March of Dimes websites at www.marchofdimes.com and www.nacersano.org.