APRIL 23, 2009 ISSUE
March for Babies at Kidd Brewer Stadium This Sunday
If you haven’t signed up for a walking team for Sunday’s March for Babies event at Kidd Brewer Stadium, it’s not too late to participate. Just show up at the stadium on Sunday, April 26, with the kids and a $20 donation to the March of Dimes.
Kellan Flynn, 23 months old, is the 2009 High Country March of Dimes Ambassador Child. Kellan is the daughter of Erin and Mike Flynn.
The March of Dimes March for Babies is a fundraiser for research and programs working to end premature births and support babies’ health. The High Country March for Babies event on Sunday, April 26, will be a family fun day at Kidd Brewer Stadium on the ASU campus. Registration begins at 2:30 p.m. and the walk starts at 3:00 p.m. The field will feature games and activities for kids while adults walk on the track. The rain date is Sunday, May 3.
“Helping babies be born healthy is vital to the hope and future of Western North Carolina,” said Lindsay Cobb, 2009 March for Babies chair, in a press release. “One day, all babies will be born healthy, but we’re going to have to walk to get there.”
March for Babies walkers are asked to raise donations for the March of Dimes. People can participate by signing up at marchforbabies.org and fundraising online, collecting donations, being part of a corporate team or by donating $20 or more per family at the door. Every walker who raises at least $150 will receive a T-shirt, and walkers raising $250 or more are eligible for gift cards and other prizes. March for Babies participants can also purchase a sign in memory or honor of a child for $50. The signs can be taken home following the event.
The event organizers hope to raise $45,000 for the March of Dimes at the High Country event.
At the event, families and children can enjoy inflatable bounce houses, cotton candy, popcorn, drinks, snacks, bowling, music, snow cones, kids’ IDs, face painting, characters, a hula hoop hop, bubble blast, chair massages, walking on the track and visits with Yosef and athletes from the ASU football, cheerleading, soccer and baseball teams.
According to the March of Dimes, the most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth. Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. The March of Dimes is committed to funding research to find answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families who are affected.
Funds raised by March for Babies in the High Country support more than $300,000 in Community Grants awarded to local agencies across North Carolina. In addition, $3.3 million in National Research Grants are active in North Carolina at area teaching hospitals.
The 2009 national March for Babies sponsors are Kmart, CIGNA, Continental Airlines, Famous Footwear, Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, FedEx, First Response, Liberty Tax Services, Mead Johnson Nutrition and Ther-Rx. In the High Country, local sponsors include Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Blue Ridge Pediatrics, Wal-Mart, Mayhew, Conn, Scheffler and Hardaway Othodontics, Boone Drug, Boone Orthopedic Associates, Modern Toyota/Scion of Boone, Mast General Store, State Farm Insurance, Watauga Women’s Center, Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, Grandfather Mountain and BB&T.
To participate or for more information, click to marchforbabies.org or call 800-525-9255 or 828-464-8905.
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