March for Babies fundraiser is Saturday in O'Fallon Community Park
By Mark Raeber
Progress Staff Writer
The March of Dimes 2008 March for Babies will be held Saturday, May 10, in O’Fallon Community Park.
Registration is at 9 a.m. The official kick off is at 9:50 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m.
Walkers will be doing laps around Community Park Saturday, explained Terri Polites, who is coordinating the O’Fallon March for Babies.
“Most walkers do two laps,” she noted. “But many families are pushing young ones in strollers so a lot of them will do only one lap.”
Polites, the community director for the west region of the March of Dimes’ Southern Illinois Division based in Belleville, said the event raised more than $45,000 in 2007. She hopes to surpass $50,000 in 2008.
“The March of Dimes is the champion for babies,” she explained. “Its mission is to improve the health of all babies by preventing premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. We accomplish this by raising funds to produce and distribute the free educational literature and programs we provide to all health departments, schools, hospitals and businesses."
“In addition we provide free community outreach and support services that provide prenatal screenings, prenatal care, mother wellness, and support services for premature babies and their families. Our community grants also help fund these programs, as well as the advocacy that helped pass legislation that is making medical miracles a reality in Southern Illinois.”
Polites, who also has coordinated similar events in Alton, Edwardsville and Marion in recent weeks, called O’Fallon’s annual March for Babies “a really good family-based event.”
“We usually have between 250 and 300 participants. And many participating local families who have experienced prematurity will be present with their babies on the day of the event,” she noted.
“We also have tremendous support in the community in the area of corporate sponsorships from businesses and banks,” she added.
Businesses or families interested in registering teams, sponsoring teams or contributing to the March for Babies may do so at its web site: www.marchofdimes.com.
Polites may be reached by phone at 234-9445, fax at 235-9459, or via email to mpolites@marchofdimes.com. Her office is located at 2620 West Blvd., Suite B, Belleville, Ill. 62221.
