A special luncheon trip and Golden Gate Bridge walk.

A "Guess the Baby" contest.

A Halloween visit to the zoo for needy children.

A big city shopping event.

Motorcoach operators across the country got creative in attracting interest to the inaugural United Motorcoach Association-initiated "Miles for Babies" fund-raiser program for the March of Dimes.

More than 50 operator members of the association took part in the event, which raised about $25,000 from donations of 10 cents for each mile their coaches logged Sept. 24.

"We are very pleased that so many operators embraced the Miles for Babies program this year," said Chad Royal-Pascoe, managing director for the March of Dimes national strategic alliances.

"There have been quite a few success stories that have been shared and many of the operators were quite creative in getting their passengers engaged to give all babies a healthy start."

Money raised by the program will be used to support the March of Dimes efforts to prevent birth defects.

Royal-Pascoe said additional donations will come in later as motorcoach operators take part in Signature Chefs Auction events that local March of Dimes chapters will be staging in their home areas.

"We anticipate some great bidding on the motorcoach services that have been donated across the country," Royal-Pascoe added.

To drive interest in the one-day event and bring in additional donations, a number of motorcoach operators put together special activities, some of which have yet to be held.

In Dubuque, Iowa, Stratton Charters is hosting a special Halloween night tour to the Milwaukee zoo and is raising money for the March of Dimes by having people sponsor children on the trip.

"Were very excited about the zoo trip and think it will be a great event," said Kayla Stratton.

Strattons also donated a shopping trip to Chicago for the Dubuque March of Dimes chapter auction.

Royal Coach Tours in San Jose, Calif., increased its Miles for Babies contribution with a special day-long trip that included lunch in San Francisco and walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.

"We had special T-shirts printed up for our walkers to show their support," said Kathleen C. Nunes, a sales associate and tour planner for Royal Coach.

The event drew publicity from several local newspapers and newsletters.

In Lockport, N.Y., Grand Tours/Ridge Road Express ran up about 3,500 miles for the Miles for Babies fund-raiser and hyped up the days runs by putting disposable cameras on each of the buses so drivers could take pictures of passengers who were taking part in the event.

"The day was really fun for our drivers," said Christine Weeks, who handles marketing for the company. "Were in the process of having the pictures developed and many of the groups have asked for copies for themselves since they were part of this great day."

Among those who rode on a Grand Tours/Ridge Road Express coach were March of Dimes volunteer ambassador Whitney Bocabella and her five-year-old twins, Owen and Mia, who were born with serious and life-threatening complications, and the Buffalo State College womens soccer team.

"The coach and the team were incredibly excited to be part of this and they made a big fuss over the twins, who coincidentally, both play soccer now," said Weeks, adding that the soccer team coach gave them school souvenirs.

Bocabella said her youngsters, despite their physical challenges at birth, have developed into healthy children thanks to the hospital staff and the March of Dimes.

"Today, Mia and Owen are now happy and healthy five-year-olds with the world at their fingertips," she added.

Northfield Lines in Northfield, Minn., drummed up interest in the run-up to the Miles for Babies event by hosting a Guess the Baby picture contest.

Lisa Peterson, quality assurance and marketing specialist for the company, said 13 office and maintenance employees brought in their baby pictures and had people try to guess who they matched. One employee got them all correct and won a gift card to a coffee house.

"We also blasted the Miles for Babies promo to our Facebook and Twitter audiences so many of them may have donated," she added.

Magic Carpet Ride in Vero Beach, Fla., boosted its fund-raising efforts by inviting local businesses to match the amount of money the charter company raised on Miles for Babies day and donated a bus trip for the communitys March of Dimes chapter to auction at its Signature Chefs event, according to marketing director Sharman P. Moore.

The company also received local newspaper publicity through a news release it issued that highlighted Vero Beach residents Heath and Jenny Schoenfeld, the parents of two-year-old twins who were born prematurely and are March of Dimes volunteer ambassadors.

"When Jacob and Casey were born we realized that March of Dimes research helped keep them alive during the first critical days of their lives," said the father of the twins. "We owe a lot to the March of Dimes."

In Gainesville, Fla., Candies Coachworks owner Sander Kaplan championed the campaign by taping a commercial urging people to donate and put a donation form on the company website.