March of Dimes Set to Hold Biggest Fundraiser Event
Thousands of families and local business leaders will join together on Saturday, June 3rd at the Baptist Health DeBoer Building for the 2017 March for Babies, the nation’s oldest fundraising walk, which helps more babies survive and thrive.
This year’s Central Alabama Ambassador Family is the Lowery’s. Abby and Brian were excited about becoming parents in 2008 and looking forward to starting their family but Abby unexpectedly went into labor with their twins at only 29 weeks. With the doctor’s help, and medicine researched by March of Dimes funded researchers, Abby was able to keep Sam and Nicholson in her womb for another 6 weeks. The boys arrived at only 35 weeks, weighing less than 4 & 5 pounds. The boys suffered from respiratory distress but after a round of Surfactant Therapy, the nurses were able to stabilize their breathing. They spent their first weeks fighting for life in a hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Today, the Lowery family is dedicated to making sure other parents don’t have to experience the same trauma and are able to know the joy of a healthy full-term child.
Mr. Eric Morgan, CEO, Prattville Baptist Hospital serves in 2017 as the Central Alabama March for Babies chair. “As a father, myself, I am delighted to serve in this important role to raise awareness and urgently-needed funds for the March of Dimes mission to prevent birth defects and premature birth.”
On-site registration will begins at 8:00 A.M. with the 3-mile walk kicking off at 9:00 A.M. Central Alabama residents can sign up today at marchforbabies.org to start a team with co-workers, family or friends; or make a donation to help more babies get a healthy start in life.
“March for Babies is also a memorable and rewarding event for the whole family,” says Craig Hill. “We celebrate children and parents who experienced the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or special care nursery. We’ll recognize these families throughout the day with a Superhero Sprint for kids, complete with a purple cape, a symbolic lei for mom and dad and loads of fun in the kids’ zone.”
“This year for the first time, participants will have the opportunity to walk through our Memory Mile and visit our unforgettable March for Babies Memory Garden. Those who have experienced loss will find a meaningful way to remember their baby by planting a flower in our butterfly garden,” he says.
Premature birth is the leading cause of death among babies in the United States. It affects about 380,000 babies – that’s 1 in 10 — born each year, including 1 in 9 in Alabama. Funds raised by March for Babies in Central Alabama support Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait, Project Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta Stork’s Nest and March of Dimes programs that provide comfort and support for moms and babies as well as innovative research to find the unknown causes of premature birth and birth defects.
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit persistats.org. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The 2017 March for Babies is sponsored nationally by Kmart, Famous Footwear, Macy’s, Cigna, HCA, and regional sponsor Publix Super Markets, Inc. In our community, March for Babies is sponsored by Baptist Health, Kohl’s and Capitol Chevrolet.
