March of Dimes

March of Dimes is the name of several health charities in the United States and Canada. In the United States the March of Dimes is a national voluntary health charity founded in 1938 by United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to defeat the epidemic disease polio, which killed or paralyzed thousands of Americans during the first half of the 20th century. President Roosevelt himself had lost the use of his legs to polio. The original purpose was to raise money for polio research and to care for those suffering from the disease. The name emphasized the national, nonpartisan, and public nature of the new organization, as opposed to private foundations established by wealthy families. The effort began with a radio appeal, asking everyone in the nation to contribute a dime (10 cents) to fight polio. The name "March of Dimes" for the fundraising campaign was coined by entertainer Eddie Cantor as a play on the popular newsreel feature of the day, The March of Time. Along with Cantor, many top Hollywood, Broadway, radio, and television stars served as promoters of the charity. Because of his close association with the cause, Roosevelt was portrayed on the US dime after his death. Over the years, the name "March of Dimes" became synonymous with that of the charity and was officially adopted in 1979.

External links

• March of Dimes home page
• Ontario March of Dimes home page
• More March Of Dimes Information