Ready. Set. March For Babies!

Friday, April 13, at the Richland County Fairgrounds, families and business leaders will join together in the March of Dimes annual March for Babies—the nation’s oldest walk fundraiser honoring babies born healthy and those who need help to survive and thrive.

This year in Sidney, the Alvstad family is walking in honor of their son Andrew. The Alvstads were so excited to become parents and were looking forward to starting their family. During Kelly’s pregnancy, the baby, Andrew, was diagnosed with anencephaly, a neuro-tube defect that is linked to insufficient folic acid. Andrew was not expected to be born alive and in the rare event that he was, he was not expected live more than minutes. Andrew blessed the Alvstad family with 10 full days of life. Kelly and her husband are dedicated to making sure other parents are aware of the importance of having and/or taking folic acid supplements prior to becoming pregnant, walking in honor of Andrew at the March for Babies supporting the March of Dimes and the research that goes into preventing birth defects like Andrew’s.

Registration begins at 3 p.m. with the walk kicking off at 4 p.m. Participation in March for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding day for the whole family including a bounce house, cotton candy, and face painting for the kids. A BBQ/dinner will end the walk, hosted by the Sidney Kiwanis Club. To register for this event or to find an event in your community, visit http://www.marchforbabies.org.

Funds raised by March for Babies in Montana will help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, newborn intensive care unit (NICU) family support programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies.

Premature birth is the most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today. It affects more than half a million babies each year, 1 in 8 babies in Montana. This past November, the March of Dimes issued its annual Premature Birth Report Card, giving the nation a “C” and Montana the grade of a B. 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.