Fundraising Tip of the Week

Send friendly reminder out to your friends and families on Monday. It takes an average of 3 emails before someone will donate. Send the email out on Monday because the later in the week you send it, the less likely people are to respond.

Seton NICU Reunion 2011

Since 1975, the staff of the Marialice Shivers Regional Neonatal Center at Seton Medical Center Austin has had a special bond with the graduates of their program. Each year they look forward to seeing how the babies have grown and changed.

This year they are celebrating their 36th year and would like to invite the graduates and their families for an afternoon of fun and to see their former nurses and doctors. There will be trains, moonwalks, refreshements, t-shirts, balloon sculpting, and much more!!

36th Annual Neonatal Reunion Picnic
Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 1:00-4:00pm
Bailey Square Park (2 blocks South of Seton Medical Center)

For more information, contact 512-324-1086

Welcome, and How May We Help You?!

Since re-starting this blog a few days ago we've noticed a lot of visitors - from all over the country!! Coming to us from so many ways - through google searches, direct links, etc.

We're curious -- and we need your help to answer this question -- what brought you here to this blog? were you looking for particular information? checking team stats? looking for fundraising ideas? what?

Do you have any suggestions for content?

If we can read your minds (or your comments) we can better tailor this blog to the needs of our readers.

So please take a moment and leave a comment here as to how you came to this blog and why and if you found what you were looking for.

Thanks for helping us make this a better blog for our Austin Family Teams!

And remember, if you have a Family Team story to share, especially fundraising ideas that you are using, we'd really love for you to share it with us. This is your blog, and we need your stories.

Thanks!

2011 Ambassador Family

This year’s March of Dimes Austin Ambassador Family are the Warrens: Greg, Shea and little Morgan.

The Warrens have seen the work of the March of Dimes first hand as they dealt with the emotional rollercoaster of living in the NICU for 69 days!

The Warren family was shocked when baby Morgan was born at 26 weeks and weighed only 2 pounds.  Little Morgan had early blood oxygenation issues caused by respiratory weakness and serious digestion problems. For the first 4 weeks after she came home from the NICU her mom and dad carried a heart monitor with them 24 hours a day.  It took several months for her digestion issue to be resolved by specialists.  She experienced extreme and noticeable discomfort and all her parents could do was hold her and try their best to comfort her.

During their ordeal, Shea and Greg endlessly researched organizations that could support them in the NICU and provide information about preemies.  They discovered the March of Dimes and have been active volunteers for 4 years. Morgan just celebrated her 5th birthday on December 1st.  She is indeed a happy, healthy, 'girly-girl'.  The little Warren Champion loves dancing, swimming and most importantly, singing.

As the 2011 Austin Ambassador Family, Morgan and her parents will help raise awareness of premature birth and encourage families, companies and individuals to be a champion for our tiniest Texans - by walking in the March for Babies.

Top 20 Family Teams

With 7 weeks to go, these are our Top 20 Family Teams, already hitting the pavement and the keyboard to raise money:

Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden	$       2,100
Austin Mothers of Multiples(AMOM)	$       1,565
Team Brookie	$       1,245
C A Sexton	$       1,065
Team Maya Maria	$           772
Team Carter Crump	$           770
Adrian's Gift	$           470
Jackie's Peeps	$           465
Tyler Lee's Troop	$           425
Willy J's Angels	$           405
Team Cooper	$           350
Austin Tengra	$           250
Bradycakes	$           200
teamBAM!	$           200
CarolsMfBWalk	$           190
Ehlana's Butterflies	$           175
Go Abby Go	$           125
Hugs for Hudson	$           125
Aid for Babes	$           100

Bassin for Babies, 2011

Team Bryson is no stranger to the March for Babies.  Probably one of the most creative family teams in Austin, last year they raised over $3000 for the March of Dimes.

This year they are once again hosting Bassin for Babies, a fishing tournament with proceeds going to the March of Dimes.

Read about them in the Hill Country News, and if you or your friends like fishing, you really should go Bassin for Babies! You'll have a great day with the family, you may win some prize money, and you'll definitely be helping babies everywhere.

April 3 at Jones Brothers Park
Children's Events from Noon-3:00pm
Register at www.bassin4babies.com
For more info contact Lindsey Richarte at 512-260-9711 or email lsrenee23@yahoo.com

Family Teams Committee

The 2011 March of Dimes' Austin Chapter's Family Teams Committee has met a few times already and we're gearing up for the exciting weeks leading up to the May 7 March for Babies.

We've got a team moms and dads working really hard to take care of the little details that make this walk so special. You know what I mean, the things that keep you coming back year after year to walk with tens of thousands of people in the name of premature babies.

Keep visiting us for updates on what's going on here in Austin. If your team has a story to share, leave your email address in the comments below. I'll contact you (and then delete the comment) and we'll get your story up here for all to see.

Team Bryson Can Cure Your Sweet Tooth!

Team Bryson is serving up some sweet treats! They will be hosting a bake sale at the Cedar Park Wal-Mart this Saturday, November 20th, at 10:00am. Please show your support by stopping by to enjoy some yummy baked goods!

Save the Date!

March of Dimes Lobby Day is February 8, 2011!

Where: Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas

Time: 10:00am-- Lobby Day Training,

12:00-3:00-- Legislative Meetings

For more information or to participate in Lobby Day, please contact Morgan Sanders

at 512-568-3449

Macy's 2010 Thanks for Sharing

Join us as we lend support to Macy's 2010 Thanks For Sharing program, which benefits the March of Dimes and other charitable causes. Starting September 15, 2010, enroll with a $25 fee charged to your Macy's Credit Card and you'll get 10% rewards on most Macy's Card purchases* from your enrollment date through December 31, 2010. In turn, Macy's will donate $10 for each enrollment, up to $15 million, to local and national charities like ours.
Enroll in one of three ways!
1. Go online at macys.com/thanks
2. Call 1-888-933-6229
3. Ask a Sales Associate at any Macy's store

* Term and conditions apply. See a Macy’s Sales Associate or go to macys.com/thanks for details.March of Dimes will receive up to $1.3 million through this program.