Submitted photo
Siblings Paula and C.J. Cusic participated in the March for Babies. Paula was a March of Dimes ambassador in 2008 and 2009.
It was a feel-good moment in Southern Maryland when approximately 650 residents joined in support of the smallest citizens of Southern Maryland — babies — by participating in March for Babies to benefit the March of Dimes earlier this year.
La Plata was packed with strollers, families and teams to celebrate raising more than $77,000 to help babies be born healthy.
Special guests at the day’s events included the March for Babies Chairwoman Christine Parker of Parker Financial and Corinne, Brayden and Savannah Sambrook, the 2011 Southern Maryland Ambassador Family. They joined walkers on the route as Elite Beatz provided tunes to keep the energy high.
“We’ve seen today how important it is to help our babies,” said Parker in a news release. “This has been an incredible event, and I’m so proud to be from a community where people can come together for such a great cause. Helping our babies should be a top priority, and we should be excited about what we’ve accomplished here today.”
“It was a memorable and rewarding day for all of us,” Corinne Sambrook said.
“When Brayden and Savannah were born premature, we decided to do everything we could to make sure that other families don’t go through what we did, and we were honored to be able to support the March of Dimes today in return for all the support they’ve given us,” Sambrook said.
Money raised from the event funds research, awareness and education and local community grants for programs such as St. Mary’s County Health Department’s recently completed grant for $10,000 that enabled it to distribute folic acid and educational materials through three clinics.
In addition, in 2007, St. Mary’s County Health Department was awarded a $13,000 grant for home visiting and educational outreach using March of Dimes materials and programs for prenatal care, premature labor and smoking cessation.
The most urgent infant health problem in the United States today is premature birth. It affects more than half a million babies each year, with the number growing every day. The March of Dimes issued a premature birth report card, giving the nation and Maryland a D.
Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. The March of Dimes is committed to reducing the toll by funding research to find the answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families who are affected.
The March for Babies is sponsored nationally by the March of Dimes its No. 1 corporate supporter Kmart along with Farmers Insurance Group, Bayer HealthCare, CIGNA, Famous Footwear, FedEx, Sanofi Pasteur, United Airlines, First Response and Mission Pharmacal.
In Charles County, March for Babies is sponsored by Civista Medical Center.