Community Director Meredith Hendrickson spoke at the Murfreesboro Rotary Club on Tuesday, and told how this coming Sunday's March of Dimes for Babies Walk at Middle Tennessee Medical Center is forecast to raise $170,000 for research to reduce premature births.

Registration and pre-walk activities begin at 1:00 o'clock in the parking lot in front of the DePaul Medical Building. The one and a half mile walk begins at 2:00 this Sunday afternoon (5/5/2013). 

The theme of this 75th anniversary walk is "Be Your Best for the Babies". 

Hendrickson explained, "Tennessee's premature birth rate is improving. For three consecutive years, starting 5-years ago--the Volunteer State received an F for this problem. 2011 resulted in a slight improvement with a D, and last year we earned a C."

She noted that Tennessee gets more financial help back from the National March of Dimes than is put-in locally. For every dollar donated, this state receives a $1.23 in return.

March of Dimes has always focused on health needs of children and it was started in 1938 to rid America of the crippling disease, polio. In fact, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a childhood victim of infantile paralysis, was the organization's founder. 

When science cured all polio cases in the U.S., the March of Dimes changed its focus to reducing premature births. 

For more information, phone the March of Dimes at 615-399-3200 or visit them on the internet at marchforbabies.org.