Hundreds of people, united by their shared concern for the health of premature babies, will converge for the March of Dimes annual 5K March for Babies on April 23 in Bend.

Premature birth is the most urgent infant health problem in the United States today. It affects nearly half a million babies each year, including 4,264 in Oregon, according to a press release.

Money raised by March for Babies in Oregon and southwest Washington benefit prenatal wellness programs, research grants and provide information for the parents of children hospitalized in a newborn intensive care unit. The foundation is present in 132 hospitals around the United States.

The pre-term birth rate in the United States fell for the sixth consecutive year to a 15-year low of 11.5 percent, according to The March of Dimes website.

Originally called the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by President Franklin Roosevelt, who suffered from polio. The foundation curtailed the country’s polio epidemic by creating a polio patient aid program.

Sign up for the walk and to begin fundraising at marchforbabies.org.

Meet at 8 a.m. in River Bend Park on April 23. Walk begins at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided.