florida chapter march 2013

who wants to be a march of dimes millionaire? 75th anniversary edition

Did you know that the March of Dimes, the leading non-profit organization for maternal and infant health, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and its ongoing work to help all babies get a healthy start in life. You’ve been thinking about your baby for 9 months, we’ve been thinking about your baby for 75 years.

About 4 million babies are born in the United States each year, and the March of Dimes has helped each and every one through research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs.

Let’s have some fun with our rich history and play a slightly modified version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” See how many you can get without using a lifeline.

1. For $1,000, which U.S. President founded the March of Dimes? A. Abraham Lincoln B. Richard Nixon C. Franklin D. Roosevelt D. James Garfield

2. For $5,000, what scientific breakthrough did March of Dimes not fund? A. Polio Vaccine B. Tetanus Shot C. Surfactant Therapy D. Newborn Screening for PKU

3. For $10,000, March for Babies, formerly WalkAmerica started in 1970. How long was a typical walk then? A. 3 miles B. 10 miles C. 15 miles D. 25+ miles

4. For $25,000, which profession had 10,000 members fight polio in the 1940s? A. Nurses B. Firefighters C. Police officers D. Soldiers

5. For $100,000, what is not a name of a March of Dimes fundraiser? A. Mothers March B. Pick a Pumpkin for Babies C. Bowling for Babies D. Papas for Preemies

6. For $500,000, what golf pro served as the March of Dimes national chair? A. Tiger Woods B. Jack Nicklaus C. Lee Trevino D. Arnold Palmer

7. For $1,000,000, who came up with the name March of Dimes? A. Eddie Cantor B. Milton Berle C. Bob Hope D. George Burns

Answers on last page.

start your team at marchforbabies.org

family teams newsletter

marchforbabies.org marchofdimes.com/florida

four steps to a successful march for babies campaign — part three Here’s the third step in our four steps to a successful March of Babies campaign. In January we talked about getting organized, last month ‘s focus was on recruiting your team, and now it’s all about fundraising!

This is a special year for the March of Dimes as we celebrate 75 years of research, vaccines, and breakthroughs. Celebrate our milestone anniversary by taking the Be Your Best for Babies challenge. When you do, you are making a commitment to achieve your highest fundraising goal to help support the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies.

We are asking everyone to set a higher goal than last year, or continue to raise money even if you reach your original goal! You can feel good about giving more babies a healthy start in life. Pick up this badge, add it your fundraising page and show that you're up to the challenge!

We’ve highlighted a few tools for your March for Babies campaign, and here are a few extra tips to encourage fundraising:

Send out team updates and give shout-outs to walkers who are doing a great job. Follow up with people who said they were interested in giving but haven’t yet done so. Ask your March of Dimes office about bank days and arrange for a time to drop off cash and check

donations. Arrange for signs and T-shirts to promote your family team at the event. Establish where and when your team will meet at March for Babies. Email directions and parking information to team members and post them on your team fundraising

page. Assign a photographer to take pictures at the event. Let him know which shots you definitely want him

to take, like a team photo before the walk or the team crossing the finish line. Make a list of any items you want to bring to the walk, including T-shirts, food and drinks, bandages

and a fully charged cell phone.

In next month’s issue, we’ll focus on walk day. If you need a refresher on our organizing or recruiting steps or if you want to read ahead, follow along at marchforbabies.org and download the Family Team Captain Handbook or reach out to your March of Dimes representative.

1. Team Jimenez, Alachua County 2. Tyler's Tigers, Alachua County 3. Kylie's Our Miracle, Central Florida 4. Team Konlin, Suwannee Valley 5. Stroller Strides - Martin County 6. CSMOMS, Broward County 7. The Fabulous Baker Boys, Alachua County 8. Rylan's Heroes, Alachua County 9. Jackson Hulsey, Tallahassee 10. Gregory and Friends, Brevard County

congratulations florida top family teams in february

As of 2/28/13

need help creating your t-shirt to show your family team spirit?

Our partner E.A. Graphics can help.

They offer corporate team shirts and family team shirts and other specialty apparel appropriate for

team walkers.

Check them out at http://eagraphics.com/march_of_dimes

fun fundraising tools for you to use When it comes to raising money, online fundraising is the hands-down winner. People who raise money online raise three times more than those who ask in person or only collect cash or check donations. It all begins at marchforbabies.org, where you can pick up many of these tools under the “Spread the Word” section or on your dashboard

marchforbabies.org marchofdimes.com/florida

videos

March of Dimes has created videos for you to help boost your online fundraising with a video scroll through all the tools and tips – many of which we talked about today. Go to YouTube and search March for Babies and March for Babies Family Teams to see the videos full of helpful hints and tips!

social media

Click the button on the left side of your dashboard to get the Facebook app. You can tie your March for Babies account to your Facebook account and use our app to access a variety of sharing tools: post to your wall, post to friends, invite friends to walk with you, tweet the link to your March for Babies personal page.

Be sure to like us, share our posts on your wall. Add a link to your March for Babies personal page in your status or comments to help your friends understand why you’re asking for their support! Follow “@marchforbabies” so the tweets will show on your timeline; tweet about your fundraising or your team and ask your followers to help, always include the link to your March for Babies personal page. For those of you on LinkedIn, share your participation in the status box or post team updates. Be sure to include the link to your March for Babies page.

banners and badges You can also pick from a variety of animated banner ads, then copy and paste the link into your MySpace page, blog or personal website. Print out postcards and calling cards in a variety of sizes – be sure to add in your friendly URL to your fundraising page and hand them out.

animated e-cards Add some fun to the messages you send asking your friends to donate. Log in and click the “Send Animated E-cards” button to create your own personalized, animated e-card. The card includes a link back to your March for Babies personal page.

iphone/andriod apps Click on the graphic on the left side of your dashboard or go to the App Store/Marketplace to download the March for Babies iPhone or Android app; you can update your page, send e-mails and record donations anytime, anywhere.

marchforbabies.org marchofdimes.com/florida your reward for helping babies

The real reward is knowing that you’re helping babies. These gifts are our way to say thank you for your efforts.

• Raise $200, receive a March for Babies T-shirt • Raise $350, receive a $15 Gift Card and T-shirt • Raise $500, receive a $25 Gift Card and T-shirt • Raise $1,000, receive a $50 Gift Card and T-shirt • Raise $2,500, receive a $125 Gift Card and T-shirt • Raise $5,000, receive a $250 Gift Card and T-shirt • Raise $10,000, receive a $500 Gift Card and T-shirt • Raise $20,000, receive a $600 Gift Card and T-shirt

In addition to these great prizes, we have two special 75th Anniversary incentives, and our Top Walker Club.

75th Anniversary Individuals who raise $750 will also receive a commemorative pin Individuals who raise $7,500 will also receive a special writing pen   Top Walkers Individuals who raise $1,000 or more will also receive:

• Special invitations and exclusive fundraising challenges • VIP Parking at March for Babies • Access to the VIP Tent • Special recognition item at March for Babies • Acknowledgment at the awards Celebration and in post-

event newsletters • Thank you note from the ambassador family

be an advocate for babies Policy & PREEMIES Advocacy Day is just a few days away. Are you interested in joining the other volunteers in Tallahassee on March 19 to advocate on behalf of babies?

Last year, volunteers from around the state represented March of Dimes at the Capitol, Through their efforts, funding for the Florida Birth Defects Registry was secured, expanding the Newborn Screening Program to include screening for SCID, and bringing awareness to newborn screening for Critical Congenital Heart Defects.

If you can help, please contact Keith Nash at knash@marchofdimes.com.

power talk – crossing the finish line Join the March of Dimes for a March for Babies Fundraising Power Talk on Crossing the Finish Line—just for Family Teams. All are welcome to participate as we help to foster creativity and excitement among our teams, families and everyone who works and marches together for stronger, healthier babies. The 30-minute call will be led by

an experienced volunteer and a March of Dimes staff member on April 11 at 2:01; code 166722#.

make babies your mission - on an average week in florida

marchofdimes.com/peristats

4,258 Babies are born

423 Babies are born to teen mothers

1,622 Babies delivered by cesarean section

576 Babies are born preterm

370 Babies are born low birthweight

32 Babies die before their first birthday

start your team at marchforbabies.org

answers to who wants to be a march of dimes millionaire? 1. C - Franklin D. Roosevelt It was FDR’s personal experience with polio that inspired him to found the March of Dimes in 1938. 2. B - Tetanus shot March of Dimes has funded some of the greatest medical advances of the 20th century. Our work has been recognized with 13 Nobel Prizes…including identifying the double helix structure of DNA. 3. D - 25+ miles The first March of Dimes walk-a-thons took place in San Antonio, Texas and Columbus, Ohio, ushering in a new era in fundraising by promoting fitness and health through walking. The first walks usually involved students and were truly marathons – often 25 miles or more. Those who completed the marathon walk received a patch called “The Order of the Battered Boot.” 4. A - Nurses March of Dimes has always been a strong supporter of the nursing profession. Today, March of Dimes provides high-quality continuing education activities, graduate nursing scholarships and research awards. In Florida, March of Dimes hosts two annual Nurse of the Year Awards, one in Orlando and one in Miami. 5. D - Papas for Preemies While fathers are very involved in every aspect of the March of Dimes, Papas for Preemies is not an official fundraiser. There are dozens of grassroots fundraising events. Mothers March is the first and longest-running. It began in 1950 with a door-to-door campaign to fight polio. 6. D - Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer held a special appointment as the March of Dimes Honorary National Chairman from 1971 to 1989. He supported the foundation through films, television, radio spots, and March of Dimes-sponsored golf tournaments. His father had polio as a child. 7. A - Eddie Cantor Originally named the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, “March of Dimes” referred to the annual January fundraising drive in honor of President Roosevelt’s birthday. Comedian Eddie Cantor used his radio show to encourage Americans to mail their dimes to FDR in the White House. Dimes poured into the White House by the truckload. Want to know more about what we’ve been up to in 75 years? Visit marchofdimes.com/75 and watch our video, read all about our breakthroughs, and take our history tour to learn all about our relationships with celebrities, nurses, Presidents, and volunteers just like you.

marchforbabies.org marchofdimes.com/florida