March of Dimes fundraising march kicks off Tuesday

Local News

February 13, 2009

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By HEATHER PYLES The Commonwealth Journal Fri Feb 13, 2009, 08:51 AM EST

It’s a statistic that may shock you: One in eight infants are born prematurely.

That number, which has increased significantly from lower numbers in the past, is what volunteers with the March of Dimes want people to know as they work to raise money this year for the March for Babies, which will help fund research and treatment for prenatal and infant care.

“I think almost everyone has been affected by premature births,” said Cindy Clouse, a March for Babies 2009 Committee member and March of Dimes Cardinal Division board member. “A lot of people have been touched by the March of Dimes.”

Those funds will be specifically aimed toward the treatment and research of premature births, which have been proven to drastically raise the occurrence of birth defects and developmental problems in children.

And this year’s fundraising march — still around two months away — is kicking off this Tuesday.

The 2009 March for babies Kick-off will feature information for anyone who may be interested in starting a fundraising team or for anyone who simply wants to know about the March of Dimes and the non-profit organization’s goals.

“Anyone interested in learning about the March of Dimes and what we can do can come to the Kick-off,” Clouse said.

The event will also feature a testimonial from Matthew and Rachel Luttrell, whose twins Clark and Carter were born premature. March of Dimes Division Director Linda Newman said the M.O.D. works to eliminate all premature births, including severely premature births and births that occur only weeks early.

“The number of premature births continue to rise,” Newman said.

The non-profit organization has turned its efforts more toward premature births after working for years to prevent birth defects and after researching prenatal care and diagnoses. While those goals still remain of the utmost importance to the M.O.D., Clouse said premature births have taken a front seat due to increasing occurrences.

And Clouse encouraged all people who may be interested to attend the Kick-off — even if they feel they can only contribute limited resources to the march.

Many people have cut back on everything except the necessities as the economy has continued to flounder, but Clouse said no contribution is too small to help the non-profit organization reach its goal of eliminating or discovering the causes of premature births.

“Any amount can help,” Clouse said about donations toward the march.

The 2009 March for Babies Kick-off will be held at The Center for Rural Development on Tuesday, Feb. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone interested in participating in this year’s March for babies is invited to attend.

Those who wish to attend are asked to R.S.V.P. Linda Newman at 679-6514.

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