AHOSKIE – Hundreds of Ahoskie residents will take over the Ahoskie Recreation Center on Saturday, September 6 as they support the March of Dimes fight to save premature babies by participating in WalkAmerica.

By getting donations from sponsors, they will help to fund lifesaving research and innovative programs that help save the babies here in Ahoskie and in communities across the nation.

&uot;Prematurity&uot; is the new March of Dimes campaign that was launched in January of 2003. This campaign is designed to help raise awareness that prematurity is the leading cause of newborn death. Pre-term labor can happen to any pregnant woman and the causes of nearly half of all preterm births are unknown. No one is working harder than the March of Dimes to find out why. North Carolina is ranked number 47th (with 50th being the worse) of having the highest rates of infant mortality due to prematurity.

There is still time to register as a team or a sponsor so you can fundraise to help the March of Dimes find answers to prematurity. You can contact your local WalkAmerica Chairman, Sheila Bradly at Ace Home Center in Murfreesboro. When you join WalkAmerica you become a hero for babies who are born so small they do not have the ability to cry.

The walk will begin at 9 a.m. September 6 at the Ahoskie recreation center. Everyone who joins in WalkAmerica will enjoy refreshments and lots of fun. It is a great family day filled with lots of games and prizes all in the name of saving babies. The Ahoskie WalkAmerica is expecting to raise over $14,000 to fund research that helps find the causes of prematurity and other birth defects.

WalkAmerica is nationally supported by Cigna Health Care, K-Mart, Allied North America Van Line, Butler G.U.M., Discovery Health Channel and Famous Footwear.

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.

For more information or to find out how you can join the WalkAmerica visit the March of Dimes website at www.marchofdimes.com/northcarolina or call the March of Dimes Coastal Plains Branch at (252) 355-6393.