Hi Team Youth!

July 22 is “Be a Hero for Babies Day” and we’re asking you to don your cape and donate as little as $1.99 to help premature babies. Farmers is doubling your gift, so the bigger you give, the bigger the match. Be an everyday superhero — sacrifice your morning coffee, sub, weekend movie ticket, or those new shoes to help give every baby a healthy start! http://bit.ly/ZmJZO

Here’s what’s extra cool: you can pick up our avatar after you make your donation and show off your superhero status to your Facebook friends!

Thanks for being heroes for babies!
March of Dimes Team Youth

http://www.marchofdimes.com/hero

Hi Team Youth!

The 2009 Team Youth Recognition Program’s deadline has been extended. Please consider applying for individual leadership and/or chapter leadership awards. Nominations must be made by a March of Dimes staff person or adult advisor. Information on applying can be found at http://www.marchofdimesyouth.com in the News & Events section.

This is an excellent way to earn national recognition for the outstanding volunteer work you all accomplished in 2008-2009!

Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,

Kaylen Mallard
March of Dimes Youth Leadership

Greetings all!

Do you know a fantastic Chapter Volunteer? Is your chapter rocking at communication or advocacy? Take the time to click here for the 2009 Team Youth Recognition Program Award Applications.

All applications are due on June 30th, 2009. Please feel free to e-mail me should you need any assistance, help, or questions about the applications.

Good Luck to all applicants!

Love 4 Babies,

–Kristen

My niece Terri Marie

Figured I’d hop on and share this cute picture of me with my niece Terri Marie. This was taken last year when Terri was only 4 weeks old. She was a preemie and born at only 32 weeks. Thanks to support from the NICU in Watertown she is now a healthy and happy baby. Once I get home from final exams I will definitely take a photo of her now.

Also, if you get the chance click here to check out the latest products and gear you can buy or sell for a fundraiser to support the March of Dimes. Today I bought a super cute tote bag and the glitter awareness wristbands. Yay for Merch!

Love 4 Babies,

-Kristen

Hey there Blog World

When I was a little kid I always used to walk around the house with a toy baby in my hand. I loved to play house, feed my babies, walk my babies, and take my babies to the grocery store with my parents. I can even remember laughing and telling my mom all the time “Mommy, I want to be a Mommy!” Lastly, I was even blessed enough to have such an amazing mother growing up that she would even make “mini” pancakes for my babies whenever she cooked them for me in the morning. In short, I’ve always known since I was a little kid that I wanted to be a “mommy” and that I loved babies.

But I never knew this much.

Now my friends at school are some pretty spectacular people I will preface by saying. A lot of them confuse my passion for the March of Dimes and passion for cute children and babies for having “baby fever” or wanting to immediately jump up, get married, and have children. While they are pretty far from the truth I will honestly say I think because of the awesome mom I grew up with I have always had a really strong maternal spirit about me. Yes, very mature observation to be declaring and making at only 20 years old but none-the-less true.

My good friend Kasey and I like to spend our afternoons chatting away on GChat about our favorite football team the Pittsburgh Steelers, communication and marketing topics, and most importantly causes and people we are passionate about. Kasey, knowing that I’m a complete nut for the March of Dimes, shared with me a week ago a link that truly changed my life. That link was to Heather Spohr’s blog.

http://thespohrsaremultiplying.com is a blog updated by Heather Spohr, the mother of recently passed preemie Madeline Spohr, a little girl with a true sparkle and spunk for life.  After reading Heather’s blogs about the complications with pregnancy and the loss of her daughter I couldn’t help but feel moved to do some sort of action. I don’t know if it was the gorgeous photos of the most beautiful smile I have ever seen, the heart wrenching pain of parents dealing with unfathomable loss, or if it was just God telling me that I needed to make a difference – whatever reason suited me best…I couldn’t sit back and not act.

If you really love Facebook as much as I do I hope that you check out http://apps.facebook.com/causes/281594?m=3f1cca43 and invite all of your friends. I am dedicating myself this summer to trying to find 1 million Facebook users who will dedicate themselves to Marching for Maddie in the 2009-2010 March for Babies walks.

From the outside looking in it is so easy to judge and think that trying to find 1 million people is impossible but I know that challenges are meant to be welcomed and I hope that everyone will join me on this journey as well.

In short, please check out the Spohr’s Blog and join the cause to March for Maddie on Facebook. I’ll be forever grateful if you could invite your friends to join as well.

Every comment on this post letting me know you invited your friends to the Facebook Cause will result in 3 chances to win one of the Microsoft Wireless mice (haha, that sounds funny!)

I’m committing myself to something that is much bigger then me, won’t you join me?

Love 4 Babies….Love 4 Maddie,

-Kristen

Hi all!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic end of the semester. I personally only have one week left of classes and then a week after for finals and then it will be SUMMER! woot!

While I had a second I wanted to pop on here and ask a question. Have you ever been moved before and if so what moved you? Last weekend I was super moved at my March for Babies in Plattsburgh, NY when I saw all of the family teams marching in memory of their lost angels.  Similiarly to how I blogged about a Parent’s Love and the video last time it really took so much for me to hold back tears at my March for Babies.

As my friend Kari and I walked the route my eyes would constantly glance at dogs, wheelchairs, strollers, t-shirts, and everything else with the name and/or photo of a lost child. While I know that I’m preaching to the choir here since if your reading this blog you must be pretty passionate about saving babies but even though I’m not a parent myself I can’t help but get a gut wrenching feeling. No, I don’t mean gut wrenching as in I was going to be sick but rather a sad one that motived me to MOVE my butt and fight so that every baby can be born a healthy baby.

If you have a minute I’d love for you to comment and let me know about your “moved” moment at your March for Babies and I hope everyone is having an amazing week.

Keep being champions

Love 4 Babies,

–Kristen

Greetings Everyone!

Take the time to check out this YouTube video below. I’d have to say it is one of the most moving ones I have ever seen and I thought I should share it.

Have an amazing day!

Love 4 Babies,

-Kristen