WHEREAS, This year marks the twenty-sixth anniversary of the March of Dimes WalkAmerica, a tradition which began in Ohio and Texas in 1970; and

WHEREAS, The March of Dimes WalkAmerica is the biggest walking event in the nation and has raised more than $769 million through its successful campaigns and throughout the years; and

WHEREAS, The money raised through this worthwhile event has been used to achieve such milestones in research and development, the establishment of neonatal intensive care units, and the creation of mobile prenatal care units; and

WHEREAS, The mission of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality, since in the United States alone, over 38,000 babies die annually before their first birthdays and over 150,000 are born with birth defects; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Senate of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby proclaims Sunday, April 28, 1996 as the March of Dimes WalkAmerica Day and urges all citizens in the state to take part in this worthwhile event to aid the March of Dimes Birth Defect Foundation in its crusade to prevent birth defects and infant mortality; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the executive director of the Rhode Island Chapter of the March of Dimes.