Countywide : Bigger WalkAmerica Turnout Forecast

March of Dimes officials are forecasting an increased turnout for this year’s WalkAmerica for Healthier Babies fund-raiser, to be held at four Ventura County sites over the next two weekends.

In its 22nd year, the national fund-raiser is the largest and oldest walking event in the country, organizers said.

Volunteers will walk 9.6 miles in Simi Valley and Moorpark on Saturday, six miles in Camarillo on Sunday, and eight miles in the Conejo Valley and 10 miles in west Ventura County, both May 2.

Last year, 11,000 Southern California residents raised $1.2 million in the walk to combat birth defects, infant mortality and low birth weight, said Alice Howard, the national WalkAmerica manager.

Of those, 1,275 walked at the four Ventura County locations, raising $111,000, said Susan E. Lindsey, the Ventura director of WalkAmerica.

Nationally, 800,000 participated in last year’s walk, raising a total of $54 million, she said.

Howard and Lindsey said they expect up to 10% more people to join the walk this year.

Lindsey said donations are urgently needed because the United States is ranked 21st among industrialized nations in infant mortality.

“Every day in the United States, over 100 babies die before reaching their first birthday, more than 275 babies are exposed to illicit drugs, alcohol or tobacco in the womb, and five babies are born dying of AIDS,” Lindsey said.

For information, call the Ventura office at 484-2727 or the national toll-free number, (800) 924-9255.