This week's winner is...

Celebrate Jett! Congratulations! Your team has won the $50 WalMart giftcard in the Family Teams incentive drawing for having 10 registered walkers. Our next incentive will be sent out next week, so keep registering your teams.

Just a reminder - our Family Fun Days are coming up:

Saturday, February 25th

10am at Waterloo Ice House (6203 N. Capital of Texas Highway, Austin, 78731)

Saturday, March 3rd

10am at Big Bounce (1754 Bagdad Road, Cedar Park, 78613)

 

Hope to see you all there!

Macy's Shop for a Cause

One day only – shop, save and give back on August 27, 2011.

March of Dimes is the exclusive national beneficiary of Macy’s Shop For A Cause! Buy a $5 savings pass for a cause and save 25% with limited exclusions at any store or online on Saturday, August 27, 2011 only, just in time for back to school!

Top Teams, Top Walkers

CONGRATULATIONS to the Top Corporate Teams, the Top Family Teams and the Top Individual Walkers for the 2011 March for Babies!


Top Corporate Teams:
10.) Deloitte $10,694
9.) Winstead PC $11,906
8.) Volusion $14,011
7.) Comerica Bank $15,167
6.) Seton Family of Hospitals $25,258
5.) BBVA Compass $36,901
4.) Texas Medicaid and Healthcare Partnership $40,484
3.) Farmers Insurance $70,000
2.) HEB $80,369
1.) Dell, Inc. raising $140,000!!

Michael & Melissa McSpadden
Top Family Team - Team Landon & Gavin McSpadden
Top Middle School Award - Grisham
#5 Top Walker - Melissa McSpadden

Top Family Teams:
10.) Braedon’s Bunch- $2,830
9.) River’s Friends- $2,980
8.) Amanda’s Angels $3,105
7.) Team Baby Isaiah- $4,007
6.) Jackie’s Peeps- $4,107
5.) Team Bryson- $4,720
4.) Team Carter Crump- $6,210
3.) Celebrate Jett- $6,273
2.) Austin Mothers of Multiples- $10,281
1.) Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden- $11,226


Top Individual Walkers:
10. David Robinson with Macy’s - $3,999
9. Josh Claman with Dell - $4,000
8. Joyce Mullen with Dell - $4,100
7. Victor Fetter with Dell - $4,380
6. Jon Eckert with BBVA Compass - $6,100
5. Melissa McSpadden with Team Landon and Gavin McSpadden $6,370
4. Jody Gautier with Seton - $9,917
3. Anurag Jain with Dell - $10,000
2. Pete Otero with Team Miracle - $20,685
1. Kara Miller with Dell $22,700

Blue Jeans for Babies

July 14th is a city-wide Blue Jeans for Babies day!

On this day employees donate $5 to the MOD in exchange for wearing jeans to work. Help us spread the word by rallying your workplace to participate in this fun day which raises awareness and funds for the March of Dimes!

Team Showcase: Carter Crump

Team Carter Crump walks for little Carter, born June 6, 2010 at 29 weeks.

Team Showcase: Landon & Gavin McSpadden

Currently hanging onto the #1 Spot for Family Teams - Team Landon & Gavin McSpadden!

Team Landon & Gavin McSpadden and Team AMOM are neck and neck as of this posting, less than $100 separates them, who will make a final run for the fundraising finish line?!!

Team Showcase: Team Cooper

Team Cooper!

Family Showcase: Alexander & Lucas Eppele

This is the Eppele family who were walking in honor of their twins Alexander and Lucas Eppele, born at 29w0d gestation.  They both have Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy...but...they both walked across the finish line!!

Their story:

The twins were born on July 3, 2006.

On Sept 9, 2010, the twins underwent a surgery called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) in St. Louis. This is a spinal surgery where the L1 vertebra are opened, and sensory nerves are permanently severed to eliminate tightness or spasticity in the trunks/legs/feet.. This surgery has enabled the boys to be "walkers" In our case, 60% of their sensory nerves were cut.

One more huge thing to note...We also lost a baby girl, Hannah, at 33 weeks gestational. She had a congenital heart defect and past away on Sept 9, 2005. This is the same date that the boys had their Life Changing surgery. I did NOT have any say in the surgery day. We actually thought that the surgery would take place in December 2010, but got a call and our date was positioned on Sept 9...the 5 year anniversary of our daughters demise. I believe she orchestrated the whole thing!

It's been quite a ride and we've had a lot of support through the community. We are thrilled to participate in March for Babies in memory of baby Hannah and in Honor of Alexander and Lucas!


Thanks! (for reading all of this : )

Jamie Eppele

Team Showcase: AMOM

Send in your Family Team's pictures & stories to rajipar at yahoo dot com to be highlighted here in the blog!

The Austin Mothers of Multiples (AMOM) were represented by an enthusiastic army in red tshirts and double (and triple) strollers!  Congratulations for a strong showing and raising more than $10,000 for the MoD!

Some of Team AMOM, whoever could be brought together for a picture

Stroller Decorating Contest Winner! TeamBAM!

The winner of the stroller decorating contest, or should we say child-mover decorating contest, is TeamBAM!  Congratulations! To learn more about Bryce's journey visit the Bryce Alexander Moline blog.