The March of Dimes “Every Baby Story Tour” will make two stops in the Washington, D.C., area on Thursday, October 18, to collect memorable, inspiring and humorous baby stories from moms and dads in the National Capital Area.

A traveling “Every Baby Story Tour” motor coach will crisscross the nation on a 16-city, 28-day road trip.  The tour is part of “Every Baby Has a Story,” a new grassroots and integrated media project celebrating babies – those born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive – launched by the March of Dimes.

The motor coach will be at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children in Falls Church, Va., from 9 to 11 a.m. and at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Va., from 2 to 6 p.m.

The motor coach is equipped with “story stations” where people can come onboard, tell their story via video or computer, and receive a goodie bag.

“This storytelling project lets proud parents all over the country tell a special story about the baby they know and love,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.  “Families can also express their hopes and dreams for a baby who has struggled to survive.”

For each person who tells their story on the Every Baby Story Tour motor coach, Farmers Insurance will donate $20.  Farmers agents will be on site to distribute child ID kits.

Additional participant gifts have been generously donated by Farmers, FedEx, Babytalk Magazine, American Baby Magazine, Motor Coach Industries, and others. The first pregnant woman to tell her story on site will receive a special gift from Motherhood Maternity.

The photo of a local child, Katelyn Hall of Leesburg, Va., is featured on the driver’s side of the bus.  Katelyn was born four months premature. Weighing 15.5 ounces, she was given a five percent chance of surviving.  Read her story at http://www.katelynsjourney.com/.

The tour begins October 17 in New York City and then proceeds to Washington, D.C.  Other stops include Atlanta, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn.; Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Ariz.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Chicago, Ill.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Philadelphia, Pa., before arriving in Times Square in New York City on November 13.

November is Prematurity Awareness Month, a time to recognize the growing crisis of premature birth and an opportunity for the March of Dimes to explain what Americans can do to help give every baby a healthy start in life.

Several celebrity stories are already “in the can,” as they say in Hollywood. Fred Savage, star of the hit show “The Wonder Years,” and son Ollie have recorded their stories, as have Julie Bowen, from television’s “Boston Legal" and "Ed"; Melissa Joan Hart, star of the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" series; Constance Zimmer, from the HBO hit series "Entourage" and “Boston Legal”; Kellie Martin, from the series "Life Goes On" and "ER"; Diane Farr, from the  hit show "Numbers” on CBS; and Alimi Ballard, star of the hit show "Numbers."

The Web site marchofdimes.com/everybaby, powered by Scrapblog.com, allows people who can’t visit the motor coach on tour to add their stories via an interactive scrapbook page, including photos, text or video. The site features a map of the United States where all these great baby stories can be added.

Sponsors
Motor Coach Industries (MCI) generously donated a brand-new motor coach to the March of Dimes “Every Baby Story Tour.” Trailways Transportation System is donating all operating expenses and their network of Trailways’ operators across the U.S. who will service the motor coach throughout its cross-country trip.  United Motorcoach Association also helped with the operating expenses of the coach.  The association has been instrumental in coordinating the donation of the coach with MCI.

On the marchofdimes.com/everybaby Web site, Shutterfly.com, the leading online photo service, is offering a coupon for a free poster-sized print to anyone who donates $20 or more to the campaign.

Other corporate support for the “Every Baby Has a Story” campaign and Prematurity Awareness Month are Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, FedEx, CIGNA, Motherhood Maternity and First Response.  Media sponsors are American Baby, Working Mother and Babytalk. 

Partners in the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign are the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetrics and Neonatal Nurses.

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.  Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth.  For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish-language Web site at nacersano.org.

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