Eli Manning Heads into Sixth Season with March of Dimes in New York City

NEW YORK, March 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- March of Dimes New York Division announced today that two-time Super Bowl MVP, Eli Manning, will serve as its 75^th Anniversary Celebrity Chairman in New York City. Manning will lead March for Babies in Manhattan and will host a special 75^th Anniversary Luncheon at the New York Athletic Club in April. The NY Division's 75^th Anniversary corporate sponsors are AECOM and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.  

Founded in 1938 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to help find a cure for polio, March of Dimes is celebrating its 75^th anniversary. Today, it is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health and is leading the fight to find the causes of premature birth. Each year nearly 500,000 babies are born too soon in the United States and preterm birth is still the leading cause of newborn death in the first year of life. "It is a real honor to work with the March of Dimes New York Division, especially during the Foundation's milestone 75^th anniversary year," said Manning, who has worked with the NY Division for the past 5 years. "March for Babies is a great event and gives everyone in our community the chance to make a difference in the lives of millions of babies."

Rob Kindler, Vice Chairman & Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for Morgan Stanley, will serve as the 2013 March for Babies Revenue Chairman; heading up a campaign to raise $3 million to support March for Babies in New York City.  March for Babies is the organization's largest annual fundraising event. "Premature birth is devastating to families and costs the nation over $26 billion annually," said Kindler, who is a March of Dimes "National Top Walker" and has helped raise more than $1.6 million to support March for Babies. "Working together for stronger, healthier, babies is an important initiative and I look forward to helping March of Dimes NY Division reach its 2013 revenue goal." The Manhattan walk event takes place on Sunday, April 28 in the Lincoln Center area, with a new start line at 65^th St. and Broadway. For more information and to register, visit www.marchforbabies.org or call 212.353-8357.

March for Babies local corporate sponsors include AECOM, Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, Ernst & Young, and Standard Motor Products Corp. Local media partners are CBS2 WLNY10/55, WCBS News radio 880, fresh 102.7, WCBS FM 101.1, WFAN Sports Radio, NY1 News and NY1 Noticias. The event is sponsored nationally by Kmart, Farmers Insurance Group, Macy's, Cigna, Sanofi Pasteur, Famous Footwear, Actavis, Mission Pharmacal, and United Airlines.

March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, and its premier event, March for Babies, March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. More than 4 million babies were born in the United States last year and March of Dimes helped each and every one through 75 years of research, education, vaccines and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com/ny or nacersano.org.  Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE March of Dimes