WALKAMERICA KICKOFF TODAY

The fifth annual Cape Girardeau County WalkAmerica kickoff begins at 7 a.m. today at the Commerce Bank Community Room, 160 S. Broadview. The local, four-mile WalkAmerica will be held at Capaha Park April 27 from 9 a.m. until noon.

The kickoff is primarily for team captains, said Matt Hopkins, division director for Southeast Missouri. "It tells them how to get involved and what WalkAmerica is across the country."

WalkAmerica began as a national event 26 years ago. "It's the largest walk effort in the country," Hopkins said, explaining that it raised $66 million last year. It is the largest fund-raiser for the Cape Girardeau office.

The fund-raising goal for Cape Girardeau County is $18,000. About 140 people participated last year to raise about $14,000 for the area chapter. The Cape Girardeau office serves an 18-county area from Ste. Genevieve to the Bootheel.

Individuals or teams can enter the WalkAmerica by calling the March of Dimes at 651-6033. Groups also are needed to sponsor refreshment checkpoints along the course.

The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by President Roosevelt to eliminate the polio virus, an infection that can cause paralysis. With funds from the March of Dimes, Jonas Salk developed a polio vaccine in 1955.

Now the organization holds annual fund-raisers to help find cures for birth defects.