Publix named new No. 1 national March for Babies corporate partner

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - For the first time in 30 years, there is a new No. 1 national March for Babies corporate partner, the March of Dimes announced during its annual March of Dimes Summer Conference.

"We congratulate Publix, their associates, and customers for this outstanding accomplishment," stated Jennifer Howse, president of the March of Dimes. " Publix' commitment to our goal of giving every baby a fighting chance has been unwavering for 21 years. The impact of this generous contribution to help fight premature birth, the leading cause of death among babies in the United States, is significant and substantial."

This year, during Publix' annual three week in-store and associate March for Babies fundraising campaign, Publix customers and associates raised more than $7.3 million, an 18% year-over-year increase for the second straight year.  This brings the Publix 21-year total to a contribution of more than $65 million to help more moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.

"I'd like to give a big thank you to the more than 180,000 associates across our company who give of themselves every day in our stores and communities.  Our people truly make the difference, and without them, we wouldn't have been able to achieve our stellar campaign results," commented Todd Jones, Publix CEO and president. "And with the passion of our associates, comes the generosity of our customers. We've always said, we have the best customers in the industry. And each year, they rise to the occasion to support healthy babies."

March for Babies is Publix's largest-grossing customer facing campaign. The company also raises awareness within the communities it serves through outreach by associates who engage the hearts and minds of customers, Jones said.