On a cloudy and drizzly
Saturday morning on May 5,
2001, 2000 walkers gathered
in Madison and raised more
than $180,000 to help the
March of Dimes in its work for
healthier babies. Among the walkers were 28
Dean Health Plan employees, family and
friends. This 30-year-old tradition,
WalkAmerica, is our nation’s original and
largest walking event. Each year WalkAmerica
takes place in all 50 states and in nearly 1,500
communities to help the March of Dimes fund
research and programs to prevent birth
defects. The week before the Madison walk,
11 teams from Dean Health System took part
in the Janesville walk. In 2001, Dean Health
System raised a total of $25,573 for
WalkAmerica.
The March of Dimes is working to prevent
birth defects and infant death by funding
major research and community services, leading
advocacy efforts and stressing the importance
of prenatal care. Birth defects are the
leading cause of death among infants. Every
few minutes, a baby is born with a birth
defect, regardless of ethnicity, race, age, religion
or income level of the mother. Most of
these problems are preventable. WalkAmerica
will provide 50 percent of the funds for the
March of Dimes.
The tradition continues this year, with several
cities in southern Wisconsin hosting a
walk:
Saturday,
April 27, 2002
Baraboo
Beaver Dam
Dodgeville
Monroe | | Saturday,
May 4, 2002
Janesville
Madison
Watertown
|
For more information on WalkAmerica, or to
find out other cities hosting a walk, call the
March of Dimes at 1-800-747-DIME.
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