March of Dimes kicks off its biggest fundraiser to help babies be born healthy when families and business leaders join together for the annual 2.25-mile March for Babies starting at 8 a.m. April 16 at Wailoa State Park. ADVERTISING March
March of Dimes kicks off its biggest fundraiser to help babies be born healthy when families and business leaders join together for the annual 2.25-mile March for Babies starting at 8 a.m. April 16 at Wailoa State Park.
March for Babies is the nation’s oldest fundraising walk honoring babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive.
This year’s Hilo ambassador family is the Yu family.
Jodi and Gary Yu were so excited to become parents and looking forward to starting their family. At 28 weeks, Jodi went into premature labor. She delivered Sadie at 29 weeks — 10 weeks early. Sadie spent five weeks in a newborn intensive care unit before going home.
Today, Sadie is a vibrant 2 1/2-year-old child and the Yu family is dedicated to making sure other parents don’t experience the same trauma and have the same happy ending.
The Yu family is joined by Eden Patino, the Hilo March for Babies coordinator. Patino knows how important the March of Dimes mission is. As a mother of a premature baby, she took on the role to raise awareness and important funding to provide for babies who are born prematurely or with birth defects.
Funds raised by March for Babies in Hawaii help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, newborn intensive care unit family support programs and advocacy efforts for moms and babies.
Premature birth is the No. 1 killer of babies in the United States. It affects about 1 in 10 babies born each year, including 1,900 in Hawaii. This past November, the March of Dimes issued its annual Premature Birth Report Card, giving the nation and Hawaii a C grade.
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. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines and breakthroughs.
Registration for the walk begins at 7 a.m. With keiki activities and live entertainment, participation will provide a memorable and rewarding day for the whole family, Patino said.
For more information about the walk or to make a donation, visit marchforbabies.org, March of Dimes on Facebook or Twitter, or contact Patino at 987-0118 or epatino@marchofdimes.org.
