Group Changes Fund-Raising Event’s Name

In an effort to increase public awareness of its mission, the March of Dimes is changing the name of its biggest fund-raising event, Walk America, to March for Babies, The New York Times reports. The change was spurred by a 2006 Gallup poll indicating that while 85 percent of respondents thought the March of Dimes was a credible, trustworthy organization, only 45 percent knew the group’s mission.

The March of Dimes is one of the nation’s oldest nonprofit groups and raised $117-million last year through the charity walk. Despite the risks of losing support by changing the event’s name, Jennifer L. Howse, the president of the March of Dimes, said the organization hopes to spread the message that it offers services aimed at all mothers and babies, not just those who experience problems like premature birth.

“We had gotten to the point where people walking in Walk America didn’t necessarily know why they were walking,” Dr. Howse said. “They were there because someone they care about or someone at their office had asked them to walk.”

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