Tim Arndt, State Director of Communications and Marketing, March of Dimes Indiana Chapter, (317) 285-0191, tarndt@marchofdimes.com.

Co-owner of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Part of the 2012 Mom of the Year Celebration, the 4^th annual event that showcases the role ALL moms play in establishing healthier communities and healthier families.

The March of Dimes has named Sarah Fisher, Co-Owner of Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, as the Honoree for the 4^th annual Mom of the Year Celebration highlighting the work of ALL moms being held on November 10, 2012 at the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to honor Sarah as a shining example of a mother and career woman for Mom of the Year," says Judy Swiecicki, Executive Director of March of Dimes, Central Indiana.   "Sarah made a clear choice that family was her priority, and has worked very hard to find the balance between raising her daughter and running a world class racing team.  We recognize that many moms in our community work very hard just like Sarah to achieve professional success, and that success can be measured in many ways. Sarah’s historic achievements in the racing world, coupled with her ability to lead an exemplary family and personal life are a source of inspiration to many.”

Sarah will be honored in front of an expected 400 guests at the Mom of the Year Celebration.  The guests will include 10 inspiring mothers and their families who will be chosen from among nominations received by media partner, Indy’s Child Magazine, at indyschild.com/moms.  A volunteer panel will choose 10 stories and invite those mothers to attend the elegant evening as a way of honoring the everyday stories of motherhood that inspire us all.   “It will be a very special evening for these moms and our guests as we honor a diverse collection of mothers who persevere through the challenges in their lives, and find a balance between motherhood, career and community involvement,” said Swiecicki.

Funds raised for March of Dimes research are vital to babies born in Indiana each year

“One in seven babies is born prematurely in Indiana; more than 11,000 each year,” said Swiecicki.  “Most of these babies have to struggle to survive their first hours, days and weeks of life.  It is a struggle some lose.  Others may go on to live with the effects of premature birth, such as cerebral palsy, blindness, respiratory problems or developmental delays.  The funds raised from this event will be used to fund March of Dimes research, vaccines and breakthroughs aimed at fighting premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality.”

Says Fisher, “At the beginning of this year I experienced first hand with my God Daughter, the scary and challenging impact of an unhealthy baby. Lucky for our family, our strong little niece bounced back.  My experience with an emergency delivery of my own healthy daughter reminds me how special that little life is to a mother and how we have to work together to give that gift to all mothers and their infants.  It is through the work and research of March of Dimes that we have seen success of this mission.”

About March of Dimes:

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies®, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

More on the Honoree, Sarah Fisher:

At 19 Fisher was the youngest woman to ever qualify for the Indianapolis 500. She went on to make nine starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” before becoming a full-time team owner in 2008. SFHR had its first IZOD IndyCar Series victory in 2011 at Kentucky Speedway.  Sarah is married to Any O’Gara, and they have one daughter, Zoey.