Throughout its 62 year history, the March of Dimes has been the premier voice for our nation's mothers and babies. To advance the foundation's fight to save babies, volunteers across the country work at state and federal levels to ensure that maternal and infant health issues receive top priority on the national agenda.

Among the legislative advances fostered by the March of Dimes are the passage of the Birth Defects Prevention Act and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP.)

Following six years of March of Dimes advocacy efforts, the Birth Defects Prevention Act was signed by President Clinton in April 1998. It provides for one of the largest birth defects surveillance and research studies ever conducted in the United States.

S-CHIP, the most significant advance in health care for children since Medicaid began in 1965, provides $24 billion in federal money, with states providing matching funds, to enable half of the nation's 11.6 million uninsured children to get health care coverage. March of Dimes volunteers have been instrumental in helping states develop CHIP programs that meet the needs of their children and all states now have plans in place. The March of Dimes also is advocating for expansion of S-CHIP to cover pregnant women.

Other legislative victories achieved through March of Dimes leadership over recent years include:

* Fortification of the nation's grain supply with folic acid to enable more women to get more of the B vitamin in their diets to help prevent certain birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.

* Legislation that lets new mothers and their babies stay in the hospital for a minimum of 48 hours.

* Legislation to make it easier for pregnant women who change jobs to keep their health insurance coverage.

The March of Dimes supports its work on behalf of America's mothers and babies with funds raised, in part, through events like WalkAmerica, the first and best walking event in the country. Now in its 30th year, WalkAmerica has raised more than $1 billion to help the March of Dimes continue its track record of advances in research and programs to save babies' lives.

In 2000, approximately 10,000 walkers and volunteers will participate on Sunday, April 30 in the Long Island Chapter's WalkAmerica event at five sites: Eisenhower Park, East Meadow; The Boardwalk at Riverside Boulevard, Long Beach; Glen Cove High School, Glen Cove; Sheraton Long Island, Hauppauge and Indian Island County Park, Riverhead. In addition, WalkAmerica will also take place on Sunday, May 21 at Foster Memorial Beach in Sag Harbor.

The March of Dimes is the national voluntary health organization whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Home Page on the World Wide Web at www.modimes.org, or call the Long Island March of Dimes at 496-2100.

Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies.