SPRINGFIELD – Business and community leader Paul Hiltz, Market President and CEO of Community Mercy Health Partners, has agreed to serve as the chairman of the 2016 Clark County March for Babies.

March for Babies is the largest annual fundraising event for the March of Dimes, whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The 2016 March for Babies is scheduled for May 7, 2016, at Buck Creek State Park. Champaign County residents are invited to participate. The event includes both a five-and-a-half-mile walk or run and a one-mile fun stroll. Also included are activities for the whole family including a “Kids Zone,” continuous entertainment and plenty of food. People of all ages are welcome and the park is stroller and wheelchair friendly.

“Working with the March of Dimes is a real honor. March for Babies helps families win the fight against premature birth, the No. 1 killer of babies that costs American businesses $12 billion annually,” said Hiltz. “The monies raised fund research to discover the unknown causes of premature birth and find new ways to stop it. There is no more worthwhile cause than helping give babies a healthy start in life. Our goal is to raise $60,000 and we are in the process of forming an executive leadership team that will work together to organize supporters and raise funds.”

Anyone interested in participating in the March for Babies or volunteering for the event can contact Brian Hammond, Community Director of the Miami Valley Division of the March of Dimes, at 937.329.9274 or [email protected].