Every year, 13 million babies are born prematurely worldwide. A million of these babies never get to celebrate their first birthday, and many more face serious, lifelong health challenges. Raising awareness of this problem is the first step to defeating it.

To help, join the March of Dimes for Prematurity Awareness Month® this November. The month is an opportunity to draw attention to the problem and the millions of babies and families who are affected.

Of particular note: November 17 is World Prematurity Day and when the March of Dimes and our global partners take on the Web and the world to show how widespread premature birth is. Join us on Facebook and Twitter to make this global effort visible.

Premature birth affects every community. Here are some ways you can educate yourself and get involved:

LEARN
Visit marchofdimes.com/prematurity to learn more about the serious problem of premature birth and our efforts to defeat the problem.

SHARE
Use your network to spread the word — post personal stories or facts about premature birth in your social spaces during November.

Online
• On November 17, visit Facebook.com/WorldPrematurityDay and change your status to show your support.
• If you have a blog, dedicate a post to premature birth. Join with bloggers around the world at bloggersunite.org/event/world-prematurity-day. Click here for more social media messages.

In Your Community
• Write a Letter to the Editor to show your commitment in your community. Click here for a template. Or write an article in your community newsletter.
• Share a bulletin insert or script for your house of worship. Click here for an announcement or here for an insert.
• Hospital/Clinic Outreach: Assemble a gift basket for your local OB/GYN or NICU or maternity ward. Fill basket with treats, a letter of appreciation, and March of Dimes materials/catalogues (available through the OK Chapter office).

At Work
• Talk to human resources about Healthy Babies Healthy Business, an educational worksite wellness program that promotes healthy pregnancies.
• Share your story and encourage co-workers to wear purple on November 17 in a show of support for the fight against prematurity.

GIVE
• Donate online at marchofdimes.com/giving.
• Organize a Blue Jeans for Babies® day at work when co-workers make a contribution and are permitted to wear jeans for the day to support the March of Dimes and raise awareness about the problem of premature birth. If you are already permitted to wear jeans at work, ask that your co-worker support the project by wearing purple or purchasing a March of Dimes wrist band or pin.
• Set up a coin box at a central location. It is estimated that $10.5 billion in loose change sits idle in American households. Imagine how far that would go in helping babies be born healthy. Create your own or contact us for a coin box.
• Get everyone together for the big Sunday game for a chili cook-off or an office competition. Have everyone bring their favorite homemade chili. You could try a $10 entry fee for the contest and sell the chili for $3 -$5 per serving/or person. Put numbers on each container of chili before the judging so they are anonymous. Decide on a prize or just give them the Chili Champ title. It’s a tasty way to help save babies!

Looking for more ideas or resources? Contact Belinda Rogers, State Program Director, at brogers@marchofdimes.com or 405-943-1025

Thank you for working together for stronger, healthier babies.