Where does the money go?

If you’re part of an Austin family team, the March of Dimes mission may have impacted your life in one way or another. This year, Austin’s overall goal for March for Babies is $1 million. You may be asking yourself, where does that money go? Well, today on the Austin Family Teams blog, we’re going to discover where exactly the money goes!

 

First, we need to understand the severity of prematurity in Texas. In an average week in Texas 7,723 babies are born, 1,001 of those babies are born premature. That means 1 out of 8 babies is born premature each year in Texas. Prematurity is the leading cause of death before the age of one and birth defects are the leading cause of infant death. This is a real problem in Texas and more than $26.2 billion annually is spent on medical costs, education and lost productivity due to prematurity.

 

The March of Dimes mission is to prevent premature birth, birth defects and infant mortality. Through research and grants we have been able to find cures and prevention for many birth defects. Along with research, the March of Dimes also provides funding and support for a variety of signature prenatal education programs that have been shown to improve birth outcomes among participants. Learn about some of these programs below:

 

Becoming a Mom/Comenzando bien

This program was created specifically to provide information that is culturally sensitive and relevant for Hispanic women and designed to improve participants’ chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  

 

CenteringPregnancy

Centering includes health care assessment, education, and support, provided in a group setting facilitated by a credentialed health care provider.

 

 

Honey Child

Honey Child is a faith-based prenatal education program providing African-American women with information and support to have the healthiest possible pregnancy.

 

 

These programs are just the tip of the iceberg of what the March of Dimes does to lower the prematurity rate in Texas, and across the nation. Feel free to share information on where the money goes along to your family and friends to inspire them in supporting your team!

 

Check back next week for more tips on fundraising and incentivizing your walkers! In the meantime, comment below to tell us how March of Dimes programs have affected your life!

 

Tips for Team Captains

As a Team Captain there is a lot you can do to grow your team and meet your goal! Check out the tips below to help your team this March for Babies season.

Use your online resources:

-          Personalize your team page with your story and/or photos. When you share your mission connection and explain why you chose to participate in this years walk, people want to support you! To make it easier  when emailing out your team page, you can change the URL for your team page to be the name of your team: www.marchforbabies.org/teamname

-          Email your friends and family to let them know you’ve started a team. Use email to invite people to join your team and also to give them updates on your progress. If people cannot donate to your team, you can ask them to support you by becoming a walker on your team! Trough emails, your friends and family can learn about your story and journey. You can also go to “Spread the Word” on marchforbabies.org to attach an email tag or send e-cards to remind people how important this cause is to you!

-          Use social media! Post your story and progress to Facebook and Twitter. Social media makes it very easy to share links and pictures, so let your friends know about this cause and ask them for support.
 
-          Create a photo montage. Remind friends and family of the journey your family has been on by creating a photo montage of your child’s life on www.onetruemedia.com . It is free if you use the basic montage and you can send it to as many people as you like and you can also post it on your March for Babies team page.

Write letters:

-          If fundraising online isn’t your forte, send handwritten letters! Personal letters and updates can be very effective. Let us know if you would like sample letters to help you get started.

Ask for Community Support:

-          You have many community contacts who would love to support your team. Don’t be afraid to ask your Neighbors, Church group, co-workers, dentist, pediatrician and co-workers. If there are any local businesses your family frequents, you can ask them to be a family team sponsor. You can also talk to your employer about matching gift donations!

 Celebration Donations:

-          Have any big celebrations coming up? Why not ask family and friends for a donation to your team in lieu of birthday or other special occasion gifts? Last year we had a couple create a team for their wedding registry! You can send them directly to your marchforbabies.com webpage to donate.

Be a Host:

-          Host an event, be it a fundraiser at a restaurant or local business or a game night at your house. It’s a fun way to get people involved and a great way to raise money for your team! If you need any  March for Babies supplies for recruitment or team events, contact sbhat@marchofdimes.com for a Materials Request form.

 

These are just some ways of getting people involved and making sure you reach your team goals!  What are your tips for other team captains? Comment below!

MFB 2013: What's new this year?

We are so excited to have our family teams with us for 2013, our 75^th anniversary. Whether you are a new or a veteran family team, we thought we’d take some time to talk about what is new this year!

Family Team Sponsorships

We have some exciting news! This year, we are offering official Family Team sponsorships! Family Team Sponsorship an opportunity for Family Teams to promote local businesses while also adding to your Family Team total! You can participate by contacting  local businesses and asking  if they would consider sponsoring your Family Team at one of the sponsorship levels. Once they agree, they make a tax-deductible donation to the March of Dimes. This donation is credited to your Family Team total! The local business receives advertising at the event and satisfaction of supporting a great cause.

Sponsorship Levels:

Platinum: $750

Gold: $500

Silver: $250

Bronze: $100

For more information on Family Team Sponsorships, email sbhat@marchofdimes.com.

 

Butterflies

The March for Babies Butterflies may not be a completely new thing for our veteran walkers, but this year we are revamping our Butterfly Garden! Butterflies are a beautiful way to honor all babies at the walk, those born healthy, prematurely, with a birth defect, and those who have passed away.

In the past, we have displayed the butterflies in a “Butterfly Garden” but this year they will be in a more visible area of the park, for everyone to see! Butterflies can be purchased through the Austin Butterfly Garden Team Page, and the donation can go towards a your team's overall goal. The colors of the butterflies are:

Purple- Healthy Baby
Yellow- Baby born with a birth defect
Green- Baby born prematurely
White- In memory of a baby

For more details, or to purchase a butterfly, visit:   marchforbabies.org/team/austinbutterflygarden

Mentorship from Past Top Teams

This year our Family Teams Committee, made up of a friendly group of team captains from past top teams, is reaching out to all of our new teams. These committee members have can help you set goals, recruit team members, brain storm fundraising ideas, and more! If you are not a new team, but would like to talk with one of these team captains, please email sbhat@marchofdimes.com to get connected with a team mentor!

Be Your Best Challenge

For the 75^th anniversary, March of Dimes national is hosting a “Be Your Best Challenge.” Details for the challenge will be coming very soon!

March for Babies is less than 100 days away! We hope these new changes will help you reach your goals and have a fantastic  March for Babies season. Are you excited for the 75^th anniversary?

Meet the McSpaddens!

Meet our 2013 Ambassador Family, the McSpaddens:

In March 2008 Michael and Melissa McSpadden found out they were pregnant for the second time. Amidst the excitement of a new addition, they also discovered that Melissa was carrying identical twin boys. Many emotions set in including the initial shock of carrying the twins, to the great joy of experiencing such a rare blessing. 

Over the next few months the pregnancy continued normally.  However, at around 20 weeks the problems started.   Melissa began to have tremendous pain and swelling in her belly.  Her obstetrician diagnosed her with polyhydramnios, excessive fluid in the gestational sac, and referred her to see a high risk specialist. That appointment would never come. 

In the early morning hours of August 3, 2008, Melissa awoke to painful contractions. She was in the early stages of labor.  After rushing to the hospital, the McSpaddens shortly found that there was nothing that could be done to prevent the twins delivery. Landon and Gavin were born shortly after.

Landon weighed 1 pound 4 ounces and was 11 inches long, Gavin weighed 1 pound 2 ounces and was 10.5 inches long. They each had two tiny eyes and ears, ten tiny fingers and toes and a tiny mouth and nose. They were perfect.  At only 22 weeks and 5 days they were not strong enough for birth. Their tiny hearts had stopped beating.  Michael and Melissa held them and cried.  Their entire world would be forever changed. 

Initially, the McSpaddens were overcome with grief. When you lose a child, there is a permanent void in your life.  Michael and Melissa’s void was twofold.  In the beginning it was a daily struggle to participate in life’s simplest tasks.  One cannot comprehend the overwhelming feeling of sadness, depression, anger and hopelessness that paralyzes the body.  With the passing of time, Michael and Melissa started to slowly heal. 

With loss comes gain, and in the Spring of 2010 the March of Dimes was introduced to Melissa by a family member.  After educating herself about the March of Dimes’ mission, she registered for the upcoming March for Babies walk.  While preparing for their initial walk, the McSpaddens realized that The March for Babies would be the perfect opportunity to remember and honor the memory of their lost twins, and raise funds for a cause that could prevent their fate from happening to others.  And so they started their own family team; Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden in memory of their twin boys.  Over the last three years, their team has raised over $23,000 for the March of Dimes.  Michael and Melissa take solace in knowing that their efforts will help other babies born severely premature to persevere and thrive due to the research, medical advances and treatments the March of Dimes has helped develop. 

Since their loss, and with the medical help of 2 cerclages, progesterone and modified bed rest, the McSpadden family has grown.  Michael and Melissa have welcomed daughters Logan in October 2009, and Rowan in September 2012, to join their oldest Camryn.  As time passes it is extremely important for them to make sure that Landon and Gavin are never forgotten, that they acknowledge their existence always, never let their memory fade and forever continue speaking their names.  And with this have accepted that they cannot change the past but can and will try to make a difference for others now and in the future. 

 

This past year, Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden were the Top Family Team in Austin. We asked Melissa for some insight into how she made her family team a top team and this is what she said:

1. We recruited family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, students.
2. We had Team McSpadden postcards printed and handed them out everywhere I went.  It had the link to my Team Page and March for Babies walk information on it. 
3. We hosted a Bowling for Babies Tournament at Mel's Lonestar Lanes.
4. We fundraised through Grisham Middle School  and got the students involved.
5. We found corporate sponsors

As the 2013 Austin Ambassador Family, the McSpaddens want to help raise awareness about, and support the mission of helping all moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies.  Please join the McSpaddens and the March of Dimes as we work together for stronger, healthier babies and walk for out tiniest Texans in this year’s March for Babies!

 

The Big 75!

Welcome back to March for Babies, Family Teams! We hope you are all excited about getting into gear for March for Babies season and breaking out your walking shoes. March for Babies is always a celebration, but this year it is extra special. The March of Dimes is turning 75 and we want to celebrate it with YOU!

In January 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt founded the organization as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to fund Polio research. Soon after, it became known as the March of Dimes when vaudeville star, Eddie Cantor, asked the public to send dimes to the White House to support the cause. With your help, 75 years later, the March of Dimes has accomplished so many milestones in support of stronger and healthier babies!

So how are we celebrating our Big 75? By coming together for our tiniest Texans! Last year, Austin’s amazing family teams helped us raise over $125,000 helping us reach our goal of $850,000. This year our goal is to reach $1 million here in Austin. With your help, we know we can get there! This year March for Babies will take place on Saturday, May 4, 2013, so mark your calendars now!

 

If you haven’t yet, here are suggestions on how to get started and join in the 75th Celebration:

• Sign up online at www.marchforbabies.org
• Set your team goal to $750, $1,750, $7,500 or $17,500
• Set your personal goal to $75, $175 or $750
• Ask your March of Dimes staff partner for change containers and recreate the 1930s "March of Dimes" campaign by asking coworkers, family, friends and local businesses to collect dimes or loose change.

Our family teams are the driving force of our work at the March of Dimes and we cannot wait to see the amazing things you all accomplish this year! By getting involved and raising money you help the March of Dimes fund amazing research that looks at the problems that threaten our babies and works on preventing them.  

To learn more about our mission and how it affects families in the Austin area, please watch our 2012 mission video:

" Fund The Mission, Austin Signature Chefs 2012 from BullWorks Digital HD on Vimeo.

Each Wednesday this year, we will be posting tips about fundraising, family spotlights, walk details and more, so come back and check the blog often!

Thank you for your involvement in March for Babies 2013. We’ll see you on May 4^th!

 

2 days till March for Babies!

Where did the time go? March for Babies is in 2 days! Here are some last minute reminders to ensure a great March for Babies:

•  March for Babies is this Saturday, May 5th, at 9am at Auditorium Shores.
• Keep fundraising because the team to raise the most in this last week will win a gift card to Dave and Busters!
• You cannot park at Auditorium Shores. Please see the email below for parking options.
• If you have registered online and do not have money to turn in on Saturday, you do not need to stop by the registration table.

Schedule of Events:

7:30am-9:00am Event Day Registration
8:45am Warm up at the Start Line
9:00am March for Babies 2012 Starts
10:00am-12:00pm Company picnics and
Children’s Corner Open

We will have Food Trucks at the walk so bring your cash! Also, come ready to dance...thanks to Will Taylor and his band, Strings Attached.

Parking Do's and Dont's: DO NOT try and enter through Riverside. It will be SHUT DOWN. DO NOT park at Hooter's, Auditorium Shores lot, Homestead Hotel or in the neighbhorhoods. DO take advantage of these parking options:

• Palmer Events Center Garage @ 900 Barton Springs Road. $7/car
• One Texas Center Garage @ 505 Barton Springs Road. $7/car
• Austin Convention Center @ 500 E. Cesar Chavez. $8/car

Auditorium Shores is located at 800 W Riverside Drive

Important: The walk starts at 9 am and because of safety concerns NO ONE will be allowed to leave the start/finish chute after 9:20 am. Thanks for helping us keep everyone safe!

If you are making DELIVERIES (food, drinks, games, etc.) You MUST do so on SATURDAY before7:30am.
This is extremely important because the officers will close the intersections and you will not be able to enterthe delivery parking lot.

Please email us if you have ANY questions gthomsen@marchofdimes.com or cbradshaw@marchofdimes.com and we will see you at the walk!

One Week till March for Babies!

Can you believe March for Babies is only a week away?

Here are our Top 25 Walkers this week!

Melissa McSpadden Sarah Cozart Jessica Cotsonas Meredith Crump Allen Crump Kelly Wadsworth Erin Unbehagen Terri Crump David Kister Cecilia Eklund Greg Maxwell Rick Eklund Joana Trimble Gandara Cynthia Jackson Karen Boes Doug and Katie Thomas Ashley Tondu Linda Tondu Suzette Neyra- Jones Julie and Boys Andolino Lauren Abbott Courtnee Bownds Lisa Gmur Christina Franco Christy Smith

And here are the Top Teams this week!

TEAM CARTER CRUMP Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden Celebrate Jett ZoCo MOMS Club SW/Oaks Team Bearett Team Baby Isaiah Camille's Crew Baby Harper C A Sexton

Don't forget, the opportunity to win a trip for 4 to Disney World ends on Monday! Any Texas Chapter family team member who individually raises $1000 or more online by April 30th will be entered to win a family vacation for 4 to Walk Disney World. We can do this Austin Family Teams!

Next week we are our Bank Days here at the Austin office. Bring in your money and pick up your incentive tshirts if you've individually raised over $100 on May 2nd and 3rd from 10am to 6pm.

Remember to check back at the beginning of next week for walk logistics!

Seton NICU Reunion, Best Practices and More!

First things first, congratuations Angels for Gabriel! You have won 4 passes to the Austin Zoo for selling butterflies! You all are doing a great job of selling butterflies, and if you haven't sold one yet, don't let your child go unrepresented at the walk!

 

As we've said before, the Butterfly Garden is a beautiful part of the walk that honors ALL babies... those born healthy, prematurely, with a birth defect, and those who have passed away. All purchased butterflies are displayed along the walk route with the name of the child they represent and afterwards, donors can take the butterfly home.

For more information on the Butterfly Garden, check out:

www.marchforbabies.org/team/austinbutterflygarden

 

Don't forget! Coming up this weekend is the Seton NICU Reunion! It's this Saturday, April 21st, from 1-4 p.m. at Bailey Square Park. Take the family for an afternoon of fun and stop by the March of Dimes table where they will have temporary tattoos, games and prizes for the kids!

 

Also, tent order forms are due by Wednesday, April 25th at the latest! Remember to turn in a form even if you are planning on bringing your own tent. We want to make sure we have a space assigned to you at the walk. Reserve a tent or space by emailing sbhat@marchofdimes.com.

 

And here is a reminder about the State Incentive for a trip to Disney World! Any Texas Chapter family team member who individually raises $1000 or more online by April 30th will be entered to win a family vacation for 4 to Walk Disney World! $1000 sounds like a lot to raise individually, but it is really attainable. Last year, a very small number of people in Texas reached this goal, so your chances of winning are really high! We can do this Family Teams!

 

To help you reach your goals, here are some March for Babies fundraising best practices:

1) Email, email, email! Personalize your team page with your story. Then send it out to everyone you know telling them that every penny counts. Send follow up emails to keep friends and family updated on your progress.

2) Get your community involved! March for Babies is not an individual effort. Share your story with as many people in your community as possible. Then ask them to walk with you or even partner with local businesses!

3) Make a video to tell your story! There are several easy video and slide show making tools out there and it's a great way to share your story.

5) Post on your social media networks like Facebook! You don't have to post 5 times a day, but once or twice a week will remind friends how important the cause is to you

4) Blog about your journey! Put the badge on your blog and make it super easy for someone to.just click and donate.

5) Do a bake sale! One of our team captains caked  "Texas sized" cupcakes, decorated them with light purple frosting, and visited her neighbors. Each cupcake was technically only $1, but everyone gave $5 each, which helped her meet that year's goal.

What are your best practices when it comes to reaching your March for Babies goal?

 

Get ready, Family Teams - there are only 23 days left until March for Babies!

Here's some new for the upcoming week:

Next Saturday, April 21st, is the Seton NICU Reunion from 1-4pm at Bailey Square. Check back for more information on details of the event.

Also, our butterfly incentive has been extended! Every family team that has sold 4 butterflies by next Thursday (4/19) will be entered into a drawing to win a gift certificate to the Austin Zoo for 2 Adults and 2 Children. Butterflies can be purchased in dedication to a child for a minimum donation of $25.00/butterfly and, this year, a butterfly garden donation can count towards your personal page! Start selling butterflies for the garden because they're really a great way to reach your goal and give back to your donors. Here is the link for the Butterfly Garden:
www.marchforbabies.org/team/austinbutterflygarden
There are directions on the page about colors and what information to submit.

Another incentive we have is from the state! Any Texas Chapter family team member who individually raises $1000 or more online by April 30th (11:59pm) will be entered to win a family vacation for 4 to Walt Disney World! More information about the trip will be sent out in the Family Teams email next week.

Have a good week, Family Teams and keep up the great work!

March for Babies: One Month Away!!

There are only 32 days left until March for Babies!!


If you need some tips on fundraising, check out this March of Dimes video on the Online Fundraising Tool:

Also, congratulations to our current Top Ten Family Teams:

1. Celebrate Jett

2. MOMS Club SW/Oaks

3. ZoCo

4. Camille's Crew

5. TEAM CARTER CRUMP

6. Team Bearett

7. JaxonsTeam

8. Jason's League

9. Team Baby Isaiah

10. Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden


You are doing great work guys. I cant wait to see who will be the top teams come walk day!


A few announcements:
Our incentive this week is: every family team that has sold 4 butterflies by next Thursday (4/12) will be entered into a drawing to win a gift certificate to the Austin Zoo for 2 Adults and 2 Children. Butterflies can be purchased in dedication to a child for a minimum donation of $25.00/butterfly and, this year, a butterfly garden donation can count towards your personal page! Selling butterflies is a great way to reach your goal and give back to your donors. Here is the link for the Butterfly Garden:

www.marchforbabies.org/team/austinbutterflygarden

There are directions on the page about colors and what information to submit.

Coming soon we have a very exciting and magical vacation incentive from the state. Be on the lookout for more details on that and check back here next week to learn who is the winner of the Austin Zoo incentive!