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That old purse you no longer use can help the March of Dimes in its effort to give all babies a healthy start to life.

Union County will host a “Purses for Preemies” event to raise funds for March for Babies teams across the county. New and gently used purses are being collected at Woodforest Bank in Wal-mart to be sold on Sept. 22 at USC Union on Main Street. March of Dimes Community Director Lindsay Vickery asks that everyone come out to support local teams.

On Oct. 13, teams from across the county will join together at Veterans Park to walk for healthier babies.

“Each step we take at March for Babies brings us closer to the day when every baby will have a healthy start in life,” Vickery said.

Vickery also said that premature birth is the most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today, affecting more than half a million babies each year.

The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families who are affected.

“Purses for Preemies” purse donations from the public are welcome through Sept. 19.

“This is a great opportunity to clean out your closet and pick up some new purses for the spring!” Vickery said.

In Union County, the March for Babies is sponsored by Broad River Electric Cooperative, City of Union, Gestamp and Lockhart Power.

To register, visit marchforbabies.org.

Each year, the South Carolina Chapter of the March of Dimes invests more than 1.5 million dollars in mission initiatives statewide, including research grants and local community services. Through these program services, the March of Dimes continues working to prevent birth defects and infant death, reduce South Carolina’s premature birth rate, increase access to prenatal care and educate men and women about having healthy babies.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. March for Babies can also be found on Facebook and followed on Twitter.