Ready. Set. March for Babies!

March of Dimes Prepares For Walk to Help Babies Be Born Healthy

CLEVELAND, April 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On April, 29 at Voinovich Bicentennial Park, thousands of families and business leaders will join together in the March of Dimes annual March for Babies—the nation's oldest walk fundraiser honoring babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive. 

(Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110426/MM90139LOGO)

This year's Cleveland Ambassador Family, Nicole and Grant Relic were so excited to become parents and were looking forward to starting their family. At 18 weeks, Nicole went into premature labor with both of her pregnancies and was placed on bed rest.  After receiving care at Hillcrest Hospital, doctors were able to slow her contractions with corticosteroids. She delivered both her son and daughter four weeks early.  Today, Brooks is a vibrant five year old, and Callyn is six months old. Due to their experience the Relic Family is dedicated to making sure other parents experience the same happy ending.

The Relic Family is joined by Frank Higgins, Cleveland March for Babies Chair. Frank Higgins, who is

President  & CEO, Nestle Prepared Foods, knows how important the March of Dimes mission is. As a business leader, he believes in delivering long-term value for Nestle communities.  And as a father, he took on the role to raise awareness and important funding to provide babies a healthy start in life.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. with the 3-mile walk kicking off at 10:00 a.m. Participation in March for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding day for the whole family including great food, local mascot appearances, music, face painting and more. To register for an event in your community, visit www.marchforbabies.org. 

Funds raised by March for Babies in Ohio help support the Stork's Nest, prenatal wellness programs, research grants, newborn intensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies. 

Premature birth is the most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today. It affects more than half a million babies each year, including over 18,000 in Ohio. This past November, the March of Dimes issued its annual Premature Birth Report Card, giving the nation a "C" and Ohio the grade of "C." The March of Dimes is committed to funding research to find the answers to problems that continue to threaten the lives and the health of babies.  

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.

The March for Babies is sponsored nationally by the March of Dimes number one corporate supporter Kmart, Farmers Insurance Group, Cigna, Famous Footwear, Sanofi Pasteur, FedEx, Mission Pharmacal, Watson Pharmaceuticals, First Response, and United Airlines.

SOURCE March of Dimes Northeast Ohio Division