“THE BIG WALK” MARCH OF DIMES WALKATHON 1973 FUNDRAISING MARCH FOR BABIES XD60844

Join this channel to get access to perks: Want to learn more about Periscope Film and get access to exclusive swag? Join us on Patreon. Visit Visit our website “The Big Walk“ is a short documentary about the March of Dimes walkathon presented by the National Foundation of the March of Dimes. The non-profit MoD pioneered vaccine research leading to the eradication of polio in the U.S., and then shifted focus to address some of the biggest health threats to moms and babies (with innovations like folic acid, newborn screening and surfactant therapy). The film was produced by Al DeCaprio, story and lyrics by Joseph Scher, edited by Richard Del Prete, and composed and narrated by Paul Evans. It dates to 1973, and features many shots of people young and old, from every creed and color imaginable, and including hippies, people with disabilities, and what appear to be veterans of the Vietnam war. The very first March of Dimes walkathon involving the general public took place in San Antonio, Texas, on October 7, 1970. The event name was later changed to WalkAmerica (1981) and more recently to the March for Babies. Participants assemble and move down city streets past a Cokesbury bookstore (:39) and meet at the municipal stadium to begin the walk (2:08). Officials from the city and the national foundation are present during the welcoming events (2:24). Checkpoints are stationed along the route for breaks and participants have their cards stamped to mark how long they have walked (2:53). Other cities across the U.S. also participate in the March of Dimes walkathon (3:57) including Houston, Texas where a crowd is seen in front of the Astrodome (4:20). A banner reading “CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID 25 FOR THE .” welcomes participants who have reached the finish line (6:14). A local band performs for the participants who reached the finish line (7:20). Ending credits (8:02). The March of Dimes was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis with the mission to combat polio. After funding the polio vaccine developed by virologist Jonas Salk in 1955, the organization expanded its focus to the prevention of birth defects and infant mortality. As preterm birth emerged as the leading cause of death for children worldwide in 2005, the primary focus of the organization shifted to the research and prevention of premature births. The largest fundraising event for the organization is the March for Babies, which was established in 1970 and is known as the oldest nationwide charitable walking event. Participants collect sponsors from their community who then pledge to donate funds depending on the number of miles completed by the participant. The March is held in more than 1,100 communities across the U.S. and has raised more than $2 billion since its inception. We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.“ This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit