| (January 25, 2008, Indianapolis, IN) The March of Dimes will hold a rally at the Statehouse on January 30th to raise awareness of infant health concerns among legislators and to announce that their signature event has a new name. Since 1970 the March of Dimes has been holding walking events to raise money to help babies be born healthy and in 2008 that tradition continues but with a new focus and new name—March for Babies.
To mark arrival of the new name, March for Babies volunteers are hosting a rally and Mission Roll Call in the Statehouse Rotunda on Tuesday January 30th at 1:00pm. At the event, volunteers and local celebrities will be announcing the exciting changes in store for this 38 year tradition in Indianapolis. The Mission Roll Call is to honor and remember those babies lost to prematurity and birth defects and the tiny miracles that survived.
“In Indiana 1 in 8 babies is born prematurely; many struggling to survive and it is a fight a lot of babies lose,” says Mary Alexander, State Director of Public Affairs and Program Services. “Each week in Indiana, 13 babies die before reaching their first birthday. Those that die in the first month of life die mainly because of complications resulting from their premature birth. Those that survive can face lifelong health problems.” Says Alexander, “Within the first year of life it is birth defects that remain the largest threat to the lives of children in Indiana. We hope to raise awareness of the crisis facing babies and what our leaders can do to change the future for Indiana’s children. “
“March for Babies is an event for everyone who cares about babies—Moms, Grandmothers, Aunts, Uncles and families,” says Debbie Hennessey, Communications Chair for March of Dimes. “Through the years March of Dimes volunteers have walked to fund research into prenatal care and treatment and newborn care that has helped babies to be born healthy and live healthy lives. However, with 1 in 8 babies born prematurely and birth defects continuing to take the lives of infants there is much work to be done. March for Babies is about all babies and giving every baby a healthy start.”
The March for Babies event in Indianapolis will be on Sunday, April 27th with check in at 12noon and the March begins at 1pm. You can register for March for Babies online at marchforbabies.org or call the March of Dimes at 262-4668
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com, its Spanish Web site at www.nacersano.org, or call 1-800-BIG-WALK.
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