This spring, the Port Huron campus of Ross Medical Education Center participated in the 48th Annual March of Dimes March for Babies. Though the weather was a bit cold, the sun was shining, and everyone was happy to gather and walk for such a great cause. The walkers trekked through beautiful downtown Port Huron on the five-mile walk.
Ross Port Huron was proud to have staff, faculty, and students participate in a variety of ways, whether in the the walk itself, through raising awareness, and/or collecting donations. This year marked Ross’ sixth year of participation in the event. Renee Souillere from March of Dimes visited the campus on April 26th to speak to the students in the Medical Assistant program and Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration program.
Renee shared the importance of the March of Dimes organization and encouraged the students to join the Ross Medical Port Huron walk team. The Port Huron team works hard each year to contribute to the goal of $100,000 the Blue Water March hopes to generate. People of all ages participated, many pulling wagons and pushing strollers and even wheel chairs. A large number of the participants proudly wore t-shirts or displayed signs with the name of a special baby in whose honor they were marching.
This year the event had some very special guests start the walk. The Superhero Sprint is a kids “fun run” that is new at all March for Babies walk sites in 2017. The Superhero Sprint is a terrific way for younger (10 years old and under) to have their very own race at 9:45 a.m. before the March for Babies at 10 a.m. With a $20 registration fee per child or $30 per family, each child received a purple Superhero Cape that says “proof miracles do happen” and was be registered for the 50-yard dash.
The March of Dimes works hard to make this a family event due to the very nature of the cause, which of course is healthy babies. Walkers are treated to several break stations along the five mile route. At each station they can get a bottle of water and a snack such as a piece of fruit or a granola bar. There are special treats like juice boxes, popcorn, and fruit snacks as well as balloons for the kids. At the finish line, everyone gets the opportunity to cast a vote for their favorite snack station. The organizers also provide soft drinks and pizza or hot dogs, a DJ, and games to be enjoyed by participants.
In the United States, premature birth is the number one cause of death for babies. The funds raised by the March of Dimes during this event provide for a two-part approach in fighting the problem of premature birth. The first part provides funding for 200 researchers at five different March of Dimes centers in the United States. These centers research the causes and prevention of premature birth. The second part funds health education and prenatal care for moms-to-be through 554 different community grants.
To contribute to the cause or for additional information regarding the efforts of the March of Dimes go to www.marchforbabies.org/team/rossmedicalporthuron.