DENVER, Colo. / Every baby has a story, each one as unique as him or her. To celebrate all babies and the importance of infant health, the March of Dimes invites parents, other family members and friends to participate in a new online, interactive campaign called Every Baby Has a Story. At marchofdimes.com/everybaby, people can share, connect and learn. The site is available now and will be into November, national Prematurity Awareness Month.

The “every baby” campaign will be augmented by the nationwide tour of a pink-and-blue motor coach outfitted with computerized story stations. At each location it stops, the public is invited to hop on, log on and share stories of hope, heart and humor. The Story Bus (as it’s called) is scheduled to be in Denver on Sunday, November 4 and will make two stops: FlatIron Crossing mall in Broomfield (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.). 

Among the faces of children from around the country who adorn the bus is that of Austin Lemke of Arvada. Austin serves as one of this year’s metro-area ambassador children for the March of Dimes. He was born 15 weeks prematurely in March 2004. Today, he is a healthy, active child who loves trains and hugs. His parents, Alexsandra and Dan, credit March of Dimes advances in preemie care for his survival. The Lemke family appears regularly at local March of Dimes events to raise awareness of premature birth and what anyone can do to help improve infant health.

“We’re proud that Austin is featured on the bus and also that the bus will stop in Denver,” said Shelly Goodchild, state director of the March of Dimes Colorado chapter. “This is a fun campaign and a great way for people to connect with a really important issue—infant health and the need to solve problems like premature birth. If every baby has a story, then the March of Dimes wants every story to have a healthy ending.”

In total, the Story Bus will travel to 16 cities over the course of 28 days. It began its voyage on Wednesday, October 17 in New York City. Besides Denver, cities on the itinerary include Washington, DC, Atlanta, Nashville, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis and Philadelphia. Sites it will stop at include New York’s Times Square, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. 

For every story collected on the Story Bus, Farmers Insurance Group will donate $20 to the March of Dimes, up to $25,000. Storytellers will receive a free child safety kit from Farmers, a FedEx tote bag and other donated gifts.

In addition to hosting the Story Bus tour, the Pepsi Center will serve as the local home of Prematurity Awareness Month. Sunday, November 4 is March of Dimes Night at the Denver Nuggets versus New Orleans Hornet game and special activities will honor the organization. On Tuesday, November 28 the venue will host a March of Dimes summit on premature birth for the business community. Plus, all month long, a 20-foot, pink-and-blue cause ribbon will adorn the Pepsi Center’s east side.

Prematurity Awareness Month is an initiative of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign. This seven-year, $75 million nationwide public health campaign seeks to lessen the rate of premature birth (the number-one killer of newborn babies) and increase awareness. More than half a million American babies are born prematurely each year, including over 8,000 in Colorado.

The March of Dimes is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. To achieve this mission, the March of Dimes funds research, community services, education and advocacy. This year in Colorado, the March of Dimes will fund $1.8 million in programs for healthy babies. Learn more by visiting marchofdimes.com/colorado.

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Media contacts
Kathryn Marshall    
104 West Partners    
(720) 407-6060     
kathryn.marshall@104west.com   

Becky Herlinger
March of Dimes
(303) 692-0011
bherlinger@marchofdimes.com