Kirkland Kiwanian Bill Petter, who has raised nearly $150,000 for the March of Dimes March for Babies over the last 12 years, will lead a special March of Dimes presentation to Eastside Baby Corner on Thursday.  Approximately 2,000 diapers, 900 jars of baby food, two car seats, and one crib will be donated to help local families in need. “The March of Dimes and Eastside Baby Corner are partnering together to help meet the basic needs of babies in our community,” Petter said. “I’ve been volunteering with the March of Dimes for nearly 40 years and I am proud of their work to help give every baby a healthy start in life.”

Each year as part of the March of Dimes Lend A Helping Hand Walker Incentive Program, hundreds of March for Babies participants earn donations in their names for local maternal and child health clinics in Washington state.  In 2009, over 1,400 families have received donations, from a brand new car seat to a one-month supply of diapers, which has been generously donated by Kimberly Clark.  

Eastside Baby Corner partners with more than 120 family-assistance providers to get essential children’s items—clothing, baby food and formula, diapers, car seats, beds and more—to local families in need.  EBC is the vital safety net under family-assistance agencies, such as schools, social service organizations, food banks and hospitals, providing crucial items struggling families need as they work to become stable, safe, housed, fed and employed. EBC annually distributes nearly $3 million worth of goods for kids from birth to age 12 and helps more than 500 children in East King County each week.

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.