2014 March for Babies Kick Off

A big thank you to everyone who attended the 2014 March for Babies Kick Off Breakfast this past Friday at the Omni Hotel Dallas.

We were so proud to present the top individual fundraising award to Cedric Allen, who raised over $40,000 in 2013. This is Cedric's 17th year in a row to be the named the top walker!

March of Dimes was thrilled to present Citi with the top team fundraising award. Citi raised over $104,000 in 2013. This was Citi's second year in a row to win the top team fundraising award!

We are excited for the 2014 March for Babies and to see who our top fundraising will be. It is just 54 days away! See you then!

Kickoff Breakfast Rescheduled

Due to the inclement weather, the 2014 March for Babies Kickoff Breakfast has been rescheduled to next Friday February, 14 at 7:30 am at the Omni Hotel in the Trinity Ballroom. Thank you for your RSVPs.

 

Stay warm and be safe. We will see you next Friday!

 

Register for the 2014 March for Babies NOW!!

That's right, you can register for the 2014 March for Babies right now! 

 

Simply go to:  www.marchforbabies.org

 

You can type your user name and password from last year's campaign in the login window.  Team captains can be assigned and new ones created online, 2014 fundraising goals set, and employees can sign up to walk. 

 

March for Babies day is Saturday, April 12th 2014 and it will be here before we know it!

Premature Birth Report Card Released - November 1st

The March of Dimes grades states by comparing each

state’s rate of preterm birth to the March of Dimes

2020 goal of 9.6%. Preterm birth is the leading

cause of newborn death in the United States. We don’t

yet understand all the factors that contribute to

preterm birth. The nation must continue to make

progress in research to identify causes and prevention

strategies, and on interventions and quality

improvement initiatives to improve outcomes.

 

To see where Texas ranks, go to:

 

marchofdimes.com/reportcard

 

Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month® and when March of Dimes focuses the nation’s attention on the crisis of premature birth. Help us raise awareness about the serious problem of premature birth, the No. 1 killer of newborns. There are several ways you can show your support this month.  All collateral materials referenced below can be found in the Communications Toolkit: http://bit.ly/1co3rp1

 
How Team Captains can help us raise awareness:

INTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

•          Encourage employees to wear purple during Go Purple for Preemies Week. Then, share your photos with us on social media. (facebook.com/MODDFW and/or @MOD_DFW)

•          Program marchofdimes.com as your home page during November.                                                                            

•          Invite your staff to share their own stories relating to the March of Dimes mission – feature in a company newsletter, blog or on social media.

•          Host a lunch and learn to educate your employees about March of Dimes.

•          Post March of Dimes mission and/or World Prematurity Day PSAs on company’s Intranet. Mission: http://bit.ly/O1Usyz; World Prematurity Day: http://youtu.be/kkORCVo4liA (Celine Dion);

http://youtu.be/FrtmRQEjZ7o (Thalia).

 

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

•        Pitch local media about your involvement in “Go Purple for Preemies Week” and Prematurity Awareness Month.

•        Turn your business purple: lights, fountains, message boards, etc.

•        Integrate the March of Dimes logo (Proud Supporter of March of Dimes) into company’s existing advertising, community outreach and public relations plans during November.

•        Feature a March of Dimes ad or story in your company’s publication.

•        Change your Facebook cover photo to our World Prematurity Day graphic.

•          Display March of Dimes mission and/or World Prematurity Awareness Month banners on your website.

•        Share or retweet social media Prematurity Awareness Month messages: facebook.com/MODDFW and/or @MOD_DFW

 

Please share your plans for Prematurity Awareness Month with us. For more information, contact Carmen Branch (cbranch@marchofdimes.com; 972/232-1349)

2013 March for Babies

 SUCCESS

        Saturday April 20, 2013, the March of Dimes held its 75th Anniversary March for Babies event at Norbuck Park at White Rock lake. As seen in the photo to your right, the turn out was outstanding and the energy was felt all throughout the park.
      With the tragic events that happened in Boston, there was some question as to whether the March of Dimes should continue on with the March for Babies walks. In response to the Boston tragedy the March of Dimes posted a “We Will March On” slogan the Wednesday following the attack; hundreds of teams, walkers, and volunteers came out in support of the cause, viewing our upcoming events and walks in DEFIANCE of what happened. We all walked for the children of Boston…and children all across the nation.  The overarching message being that March of Dimes supporters will not be stopped.  We will persevere and be strong in the fight to help all babies have a healthy start in life.

           

           Emotions ran high throughout the day as there was excitement to get the event underway. A live broadcast with a moment of silence for the Boston victims was followed by a booming kickoff of this years March for Babies accompanied by the sounds of cheerleaders and the crowd cheering. If you were in attendance you noticed that there were many new additions to the grounds. This year the March of Dimes' very own Linda Bailey implemented a memorial tent for all the families that have suffered a loss of a child, many attendees who saw the tent were moved by the notion and felt that this might have been what was missing in previous years, and at this years walk were then fulfilled by the memorial being part of the celebration.

           Its always fulfilling to see an event such as this one come together given its magnitude and observe the lives it touches. The feeling is unparalleled and words cannot explain the appreciation that is seen throughout the day by people who have been part of this organization for both a long while and not so long. In the years to come, we will continue to fight for babies, walk for babies, and raise money for babies. As we turn the page on this year's walk, let us keep in the forefront of our minds the reason we walk. We walk in remembrance, we walk for those closest to us, we walk in appreciation for our healthy children, we walk for the children we do not yet have; if you don't have a child you know someone that does, and that is why we walk. The March of Dimes looks forward to seeing you all next year at March for Babies 2014.

NEW INCENTIVE!!

2013 PARKING INFORMATION

2013 NEW PROMOTIONAL FLYER

Champions make a difference, be brave for babies this March.

ATTENTION FAMILY TEAMS!

We would like to announce an exciting Family Team Captain Incentive for March!  Any family team captain that raises over $500 for their team, will have their name placed in a drawing for 2 FREE Dallas Mavericks tickets!!  The tickets will be awarded on Monday, April 1^st and there will be 2 chances to WIN!!

Game Details:

Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets

Friday, April 12^th2013

2 Lower Level Tickets

Tipoff at 7:30pm

There are several teams that are very close to the $500 mark, so this is a little incentive to propel your team to victory!  If your family team has already raised over $500, you are automatically entered in the drawing. 

 

Be getting ready for tip off in exactly one month from now! 

Ready, Set, GO MAVS!!

How not asking is the same as saying NO

On-line and Off-line Fundraising

How much would you be willing to raise if you knew your fundraising could save a baby’s life?  One of the great things about March for Babies is that your ability to contribute is not limited by your checkbook.  The amount you raise is limited only by your willingness to ask others to support your efforts!

There are two ways to raise donations for March for Babies:

§On-line fundraising is one easy way—simple, fast, and efficient! This tool allows you to send email messages and requests for donations to your friends and family. See 2013 Fundraising Tips! 

§Off-line fundraising is another simple way.  Personally ask your family and friends for a donation either in person or via a mailed letter.    See 2013 Fundraising Tips!

See our PDF to your (right) and read how you can make a difference.

 One would rather have the efforts of 1% of 100 people than 100% of my own efforts!  

PREEMIE Reauthorization Act

      This week the March of Dimes has big news from Washington, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) introduced the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S.252/ H.R. 541)! If you don't keep up with legislation the Act is comprehensive legislation reauthorizing critical federal research and programs that will help identify the causes of premature births, and work to prevent them. Thanks to your tireless efforts as advocates and supporters, we made critical advancements moving the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act forward last year. During the last weeks of the 112th Congress, both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate PASSED the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, but it didn't become law due to procedural entanglements. With the new Congress now under way, we're back for our next attempt at getting this important bill enacted into law.

     After the original PREEMIE Act passed in 2006, preterm birth rates dropped for five consecutive years after rising steadily for three decades.  Reauthorizing the PREEMIE Act will help us reach the March of Dimes goal of lowering the preterm birth rate to 9.6 percent by 2020 and reducing the number of infant deaths and childhood disabilities caused by premature birth. There are encouraging signs that PREEMIE is primed for early action in both chambers, and our Congressional champions remain committed to securing passage of this bill into law.  Your work throughout 2012 provided a firm foundation for this year, and we will likely call on you in the coming weeks as we work to secure swift passage to ensure all babies have a healthy start.

 

The March of Dimes thanks you for your continued support!

 

Kickoff Breakfast Success!

(Preparation at Omni Dallas)

       February 6, 2013, March of Dimes- Dallas played host to their annual kickoff breakfast at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas. The event was a thriving success with over six-hundred corporate, and family teams joined together for breakfast in celebration of 2012's success and 2013's impending momentum!
       Each attendee present in the audience was challenged to be their best for babies this year; both through an emotional presentation by the Price family, and glowing recognition of last years successes, 2013 promises to be ever greater than last year. We urge each family, individual, and corporation to join us in this challenge and go bigger for babies this year, if last year teams reached their goals, lets take it up a notch and reach higher! A small pebble creates a large ripple.

Read Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby

Having a baby is one of nature's true blessings and miracles. You have many choices in front of you in this exciting time and the more you know, the more empowered and prepared you become!
Get the facts you need. Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby brought to you by March of Dimes clearly lays out all the must-know information about every stage of your pregnancy, along with research-based advice to help keep you healthy and full of energy.

Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby features:

• A straight-forward "Start Where You Are" approach to maternity
• A month-by-month look at how your baby is growing
• The truth about weight gain and nutrition
• The essential labor checklist

Meet the Authors

Siobhan Dolan, M.D., M.P.H.

As a medical advisor to March of Dimes, Siobhan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an attending physician in the Division of Reproductive Genetics at Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Einstein, in New York City. Dr. Dolan is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard Medical School and holds a master's degree in public health from Columbia University. The mother of three teenagers, she lives with her family in Westchester County, N.Y.

Alice Lesch Kelly

Alice is an award-winning medical writer and health journalist. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Kelly has two sons and lives in the Boston area.

 

 

 

 

Watch the Video about Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby HERE!

Social Media As a Developement Tool?

Yes, why not? In today’s fast paced society sometimes the only tool you have is social media! Facebook has revolutionized the idea of advertising, speaking, and communicating; whether it is a local business, a charity, or even your relationship status; the point being, news travels faster by word of mouth. To spread the word about our amazing organization and your own personal efforts why not use social media as a tool.

 

Instead of, or in addition to the Facebook application, LIKE the “March of Dimes” page and share their posts on your wall. Always enter the link to your March for Babies personal page in your status or comments. This helps your friends understand why you’re asking for their support and easily link them to your page to donate.

Follow @marchforbabies  on twitter! Important tweets will now show on your timeline. Tweet about your fundraising progress, your team and ask your followers to help. Always include the link to your March for Babies!

Login and share your participation in the status box of your LinkedIn. Be ure to include the link to your March for Babies page. You can post to Twitter from LinkedIn too! 

YES THERE IS A MOBILE WEBSITE: We’ve optimized www.marchforbabies.org for smartphones and tablets so it will automatically detect you are visiting from a mobile device, making it easier to see your fundraising page. Click on the “Download Apps” button and select which March for Babies application you would like to download: iPhone/iPad, Android, or Facebook. You can update your page, send emails, and record donations anytime. 

 

Now you can spread the word about your involvement with March for Babies, so spread it via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Leave a status message encouraging your friends, family and followers to donate to your fundraising page.