| (Eastpointe, MI – April 21, 2003) For years, First State Bank and its employees have led the way in fundraising efforts for the March of Dimes and WalkAmerica. This year, they plan to surpass past years and exceed previous expectations.
It’s become a tradition at First State Bank to participate in WalkAmerica. Each year a selected committee coordinates the campaign and recruits walkers.
One of the employees, Renna Fraley, participates on the committee and holds an extreme passion for the March of Dimes. Her daughter was born three months premature and spent the first sixty-two days of her life in a NeoNatal Intensive Care Unit. Although her daughter suffered at that time from low birth weight and bleeding in the brain, she is now perfectly healthy, and attributes this success to the March of Dimes. Renna carries her daughter’s infant hospital bracelet with her at all times to share with others and to help remember how lucky she is. It is this reason that she chooses to involve herself with WalkAmerica.
Although smaller than most companies that participate with the March of Dimes, First State Bank has remained in the top five fundraising companies at the WalkAmerica Metro Beach site and in the top fifteen statewide.
WalkAmerica is an eight-mile walk to save babies and will take place rain or shine in Metro Beach on Sunday, April 27. Proceeds raised by WalkAmerica help the March of Dimes save babies through programs of research, community service, advocacy and education.
The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Currently, the March of Dimes has entered a new prematurity campaign. This five-year, $75 million dollar research, awareness and education campaign is aimed to help families have healthier babies.
Every day in the United States, 1280 babies are born prematurely, many so small they must fight for their lives. Nearly 50 percent of premature births have no known cause.
National WalkAmerica sponsors are Cigna, Kmart, Allied northAmerican, Butler GUM, Discovery Health Channel and Famous Footwear. Comcast is a statewide sponsor of WalkAmerica in Michigan. WalkAmerica site sponsors in Metro Beach are Philip F. Greco Title Company, Kroger Company of Michigan, Fifth Third Bank, Comcast, St. John Health, Mount Clemens General Hospital, Richmond Rotary and Gillette.
People interested in joining above sponsors and First State Bank in the fight against prematurity can do so by calling 1-800-BIG-WALK or register online at www.marchofdimes.com
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