March of Dimes Fights for Stronger, Healthier Babies in Evansville
Hundreds of families and business leaders will join together on Saturday, April 25, to take part in the March of Dimes first annual Run for Babies.
The March of Dimes and Mead Johnson Nutrition are proud to present this inaugural event, a timed 5K run. Lace up your running shoes and join us in support of research, prevention and treatment of prematurity – all of which can lead to stronger, healthier babies.
The run begins promptly at 10AM at Sunrise Park, home of the Kids Kingdom playground, with the course taking you along Riverside Drive and through parts of downtown Evansville, onto the beautiful River walk, and back to the Finish Line at Sunrise Park. Registration begins at 9AM and the registration fee is $20. Runners can also register online at https://register.chronotrack.com/reg/form?eventID=13307. All runners will receive an official race t-shirt, race number and chip timing.
The Run for Babies will be followed by the March of Dimes annual walking event, the 3 mile March for Babies, also in Sunrise Park.
Mead Johnson’s sponsorship of the first 1st Annual Run for Babies is part of the company’s celebration of its 100 years of operation in Evansville. “We’re so excited to have Mead Johnson Nutrition help us with this Run ” said Mike Ball, division director for the March of Dimes Southwest Division. “Their employees’ passion for the cause and commitment to helping our babies will be a huge driving factor in the success of our event this year.â€
“Mead Johnson’s mission – to help give infants and children the best start in life – has much in common with the March of Dimes’ commitment to help prevent premature births and birth defects. We are honored to work with an organization whose mission is so closely aligned with our own as we celebrate our 100 year anniversary in Evansville,†said Rick Baumgart, vice president, North America supply chain at Mead Johnson Nutrition.
When you run or walk on Saturday, April 25th, you give hope to the nearly half a million babies in the United States who are born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in our community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. Participation in March for Babies and Run for Babies will provide a memorable and rewarding day for all attendees. Participants can enjoy WFIE’s morning anchor Dan Katz as the emcee; music; several local mascots, such as Evan the Otter and the Chick-fil-A Cow; face painting; River City Clowns; an obstacle course; and more.
Call Mike Ball, March of Dimes Division Director for more information at 812-266-6004 or email at mball@marchofdimes.org.
The March of Dimes mission and is dedicated to raising awareness and the important funding to prevent premature births, birth defects and infant mortality. One in nine babies in the United States will be born prematurely. Funds raised by the Run for Babies in Indiana help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Family Support Programs and advocacy efforts for stronger, healthier babies.
The most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth. It affects more than 450,000 babies each year and is the leading cause of death for children under the age of five. This past November, the March of Dimes issued a Report Card on Premature Birth, giving the nation a “C†and Indiana the grade of “B.†The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the answers to problems that continue to threaten the health of babies.
About Mead Johnson
Mead Johnson, a global leader in pediatric nutrition, develops, manufactures, markets and distributes more than 70 products in over 50 countries worldwide. The company’s mission is to nourish the world’s children for the best start in life. The Mead Johnson name has been associated with science-based pediatric nutrition products for over 100 years. The company’s “Enfa” family of brands, including Enfamil® infant formula, is the world’s leading brand franchise in pediatric nutrition. For more information, go to www.meadjohnson.com.
About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. Â The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.
