Giving Every Baby a Healthy Startsm

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Giving every baby a healthy startsm

Annual Report 2006 Table of Contents

Officers’ Letter...... 2

Research Unraveling Medical Mysteries...... 4

Education Empowering Parents...... 7

Services Engaging the Community...... 10

Advocacy Rallying the Nation...... 13 Volunteers Advancing the Mission...... 16

Partners Supporting the Vision...... 20

Donors...... 23

Financial Highlights...... 37 Boards, Committees and Chapters...... 40

The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. © Rune Hellestad/Corbis

Officers‘ Letter

Every parent wants a healthy baby. It is perhaps mankind’s most profound desire. But, for many parents, it is not a reality. The March of Dimes mission is to make it so … to give every baby a healthy start.

Thanks to the dedication and efforts of our volunteers and donors, 2006 was a year of major steps forward for the health of babies. A solid finish of nearly $245 million in revenue made this the fourth consecutive year we’ve ended with a strong margin. That means more research, more programs and, ultimately, more babies born healthy. Whether in the research lab, the local community, or the halls of government, the March of Dimes is there to fight for families and babies.

In the Research Lab communities with educational materials about having healthy, Pivotal to our work to give babies a healthy start is research to full-term pregnancies and Grand Rounds sessions educated health identify causes and preventive strategies for threats to infant professionals about identifying and treating pregnant women at health. Premature birth is the biggest threat to babies today, high risk for premature delivery. jeopardizing the lives and health of more than half-a-million babies in the U.S. each year. One-third of the March of Dimes research Every year, more than 400,000 premature or sick babies require portfolio focuses on the complex and growing problem of prema- lifesaving treatment in neonatal intensive care units. Their families, turity and its consequences. In 2004, the March of Dimes created dazed and distraught, need all the emotional support and informa- ® the Prematurity Research Initiative (PRI) to provide grants for tion they can get. The March of Dimes NICU Family Support innovative research focusing on the role of genetics and genomics program, now in 42 sites across the nation, provides onsite staff in premature birth. Since then, 20 outstanding researchers and educational materials to help these families as they watch their (including eight in early 2007) have received PRI grants totaling precious baby struggle to survive. The program also includes a $7.1 million. In addition, in 2006, the March of Dimes invested NICU Web site and an online community for NICU families nearly $27 million in research studies of key questions in develop- (shareyourstory.org) which has been nominated for a “Webby mental biology related to birth defects and other causes of death Award” as one of the five best Community Sites in the world. We and disability in newborns. The year ended on a high note when intend to have NICU Family Support projects in 100 locations by two former March of Dimes research grantees were awarded December, 2010. Nobel Prizes, bringing to 13 the total number of our grantees who have received the Prize. In partnership with the Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute and the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the March of In Local Communities Dimes launched a six-site prematurity prevention initiative in Kentucky. The goal is to determine if “bundling” together proven March of Dimes chapters across the country addressed the interventions can lower the rate of preventable preterm births by growing problem of premature birth in their local communities 15 percent over three years. If successful, the $1.6 million project through an array of services and education programs. More than will serve as a model for programs in high-risk areas around $8.7 million in grants were provided to community organizations the country. to meet specific needs of local families, such as access to prenatal care and programs to stop smoking. Chapters blanketed their

2 In November, we marked our 4th annual Prematurity Awareness our commitment to volunteers in 2006 by establishing the March Month to remind the public that premature birth continues to be of Dimes Volunteer Leadership Institute (VLI). Under the leader- a national crisis in our country. The month launched with a press ship of former trustee Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, granddaughter of conference announcing a new public health education initiative March of Dimes founder Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Institute will featuring Tony Award-winning, black recording artist Heather provide training and leadership development opportunities with Headley. Black women have nearly twice the rate of premature pilot programs beginning in 2007. births of white women. Heather’s message to women: There are things you can do to help reduce your risk, beginning with a Though 2006 was a year of successes, many of which are preconception checkup. Overall, Prematurity Awareness Month highlighted in this annual report, the March of Dimes has yet generated massive media attention and a wide array of activities much work to do to reach the day when every baby gets a healthy across the country — including the lighting of 150 buildings and start, when every parent knows the joy of having a healthy baby. landmarks in pink and blue! All told, the March of Dimes But it is with confidence built on a history of achievement, and reached some 17.6 million women this year with messages determination inspired by the first fierce cry of a healthy newborn about healthy childbearing. that we move forward toward our goal.

In the Halls of Government March of Dimes volunteers achieved a major victory in the fight to prevent premature birth this year when the PREEMIE Act was signed into law, culminating three years of dedicated and determined advocacy efforts. The Act will increase funding for Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President prematurity research and accelerate the development of new strategies for preventing premature birth and for treating babies who are born too soon.

James E. Sproull, Jr., Esq., Chairman of the Board 2006 also saw a landmark in newborn screening: As of July, 31 states screened newborns for 21 or more of the 29 serious but preventable health conditions recommended by the March of Dimes and the American Academy of Pediatrics. If not diagnosed and treated early, these conditions can result in mental retarda- tion, serious health problems or even death. Thanks once again to March of Dimes volunteers, nearly two-thirds of all babies born in the U.S. are screened at birth for the 21 or more core conditions and can receive lifesaving treatment if needed.

On the Volunteer Front March of Dimes volunteers have always been our most valuable asset, nurturing and growing them a top priority. Cognizant of the increasingly competitive volunteer arena, we formalized

Research P

March of Dimes Researchers Win Nobel Prizes

Research has been the foundation of March of Dimes efforts to improve human health since its founding by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1938. The victory over polio confirmed scientific investigation as a winning strategy, and over the years March of Dimes research grantees have made discoveries that improved the health of babies. It is a source of immense pride that 13 March of Dimes grantees have received Nobel Prizes over the past six decades.

In fact, 2006 saw the awarding of Nobel Prizes to two former March of Dimes grantees for their groundbreaking discoveries on RNA (ribonucleic acid), the lesser known cousin of DNA (deoxyri-

bonucleic acid), the material that contains our genes. DNA forms © Laguna Design/Science Photo Library the blueprint for who we are, but it is RNA that turns these plans into action. Roger D. Kornberg, PhD, professor of Structural Biology and Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Craig Mello, PhD, professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, shared this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

g had just finished checking her blood sugar level when he received

t the news of his Nobel award. Now his startling findings, using a

k millimeter-long worm, may lead to novel treatments that may make

e the future even brighter for his daughter, and many others with

While Dr. Kornberg revealed how a gene speaks, Dr. Mello learned how to silence a gene. Dr. Mello (working along with his colleague Dr. Andrew Fire, who shared the Nobel Prize) discovered a mecha- nism called RNA interference (or RNAi) that is used by cells to shut down a gene. They found that a special kind of RNA molecule (double-stranded RNA) could trigger the destruction of messenger RNA molecules so the cell cannot make the protein.

This powerful laboratory tool has revolutionized biomedical and genetic research. Scientists now routinely use RNAi to silence Like Father, Like Son specific genes to learn their role in various birth defects and other In 1959, when he was 12 years old, Dr. Kornberg traveled to diseases, like cancer. Someday soon, scientists may be able to har- Stockholm to see his father, Arthur Kornberg, win the Nobel Prize ness this technique to treat some birth defects and many cancers by in Physiology or Medicine. The elder Dr. Kornberg discovered turning off harmful genes. how genetic information is transferred from one DNA molecule to another or, in other words, how our genetic blueprint is passed Dr. Mello received a March of Dimes Basil O’Connor Starter on from a mother cell to its daughters. But once the blueprint is Scholar Research Award to support his research from 1996 to in place, what does the cell do with it? That’s where Dr. Roger 1998. The award is designed to help young scientists begin their Kornberg comes in. independent research careers. Can young scientists make a difference? Dr. Mello and Dr. Fire first published their research in His three decades of painstaking laboratory research with baker’s 1998. In the eight short years since then, the tool they developed yeast, a simple one-celled organism, uncovered how a cell’s genes has become state-of-the-art in laboratories across the country, and relay their instructions to the cell. Dr. Kornberg was honored for pharmaceutical companies are investigating its potential use in the his discovery of what happens during a process called transcription, treatment of a host of diseases. in which genes copy their instructions onto a type of RNA called messenger RNA. The RNA then takes these instructions to the Drs. Kornberg and Mello are prime examples of how March of protein-producing parts of cells and tells them what proteins to Dimes-funded research is yielding major breakthroughs in under- make. Transcription is crucial for survival of all living things that standing how humans develop and thrive, paving the way for have cells with a nucleus, from the simple one-celled baker’s yeast lifesaving medical treatments. that Dr. Kornberg studied to humans.

From 1996 to 1998, the March of Dimes supported Dr. Kornberg’s research on the transcription of certain genes that play pivotal roles in early embryonic development. Disturbances in transcription before birth can lead to birth defects, and later in life, to cancers, heart disease and other health problems. While the causes of more than 60 percent of birth defects are unknown, Dr. Kornberg’s research continues to provide insight into the causes of more of them, and may ultimately speed the development of new treatments. He also provided the foundation for a new generation of RNA researchers, like Dr. Mello.

Hope for a Daughter That basic laboratory research can make a lifesaving difference really hits home for Dr. Mello. He points out that the cloning of Craig Mello, PhD the insulin gene was the first step in developing the treatment that keeps his 6-year-old daughter, who is diabetic, alive. In fact, he Roger D. Kornberg, PhD

RNAi vs. Preterm Labor?

Can RNAi techniques “turn off” genes that may contribute to preterm labor? Several genes play an important role in causing inflammation in the uterus, a common cause of preterm labor. Jeffrey A. Keelan, PhD, a March of Dimes Prematurity Research Initiative grantee from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, is attempting to silence these genes using RNAi, in hopes of preventing or halting the cascade of chemical changes that lead to premature delivery.

Jeffrey A. Keelan, PhD

Prematurity Genes: Identifying Women at Risk

Why are black women nearly twice as likely as white women to deliver prematurely? March of Dimes grantees are starting to find answers that may help reduce this disparity in preterm births. Jerome F. Strauss III, MD, PhD, a March of Dimes Prematurity Research Initiative grantee at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, found black women are more likely to have a variant form of a gene called SERPINH1. Women with this gene produce less collagen, leading to weaker fetal membranes (the “bag of waters”) and, possibly, to preterm premature rupture of the membranes, a common cause of premature birth. Dr. Strauss’s discovery may also point to new treatments, such as vitamin C, that may boost collagen production.

Black women are more likely than white women to develop Jerome F. Strauss III, MD, PhD preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related form of high blood pressure that sometimes results in preterm birth. Xiaobin Wang, MD, MPH, ScD, a March of Dimes Perinatal Epidemiological Research Initiative grantee at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, has identified a gene variant (prolylcarboxy- peptidase) that may increase the risk of preeclampsia. This disorder can become severe and threaten the lives of mother and baby. In such cases, the only cure is delivery of the baby, often prematurely. Dr. Wang’s findings could lead to an early screening test that could help pre- dict which women are likely to develop preeclampsia, allowing early treatment that may help prevent some premature Xiaobin Wang, MD, MPH, ScD deliveries, and possibly reduce racial disparities in preterm deliveries.

6 Education Empowering Parents © Altrendo Images/Getty Images © Altrendo

7 Hoover Dam glows pink and blue

• “I’m lending my voice to help the March of Dimes generate awareness of the issue of preterm birth because it’s reached the crisis point in America,” Heather Headley explained at a November press conference, held at New York’s Harlem Hospital and packed with reporters, fans, health professionals and volun- Heather Headley with 2007 Ambassador, Zeek Taylor teers. The Tony Award-winner was there to announce the March of Dimes new “I want My 9 Months” educational initiative targeted to black women, who are disproportionately affected Hope through Knowledge by prematurity. • Governors of 10 states issued proclamations for Prematurity Education is the first step to prevention. That’s why the March of Awareness Day (November 14) along with dozens of mayors and Dimes works to educate families, health care professionals, youth county officials. and people everywhere about threats to babies’ health and what • Pink and blue adorned stores and ballrooms across the country as can be done about them. In 2006, March of Dimes printed mate- retail promotions and fundraising events generated thousands of rials, educational workshops, chapter grants and NICU Family dollars and raised community awareness of the seriousness of Support reached millions of people with important health informa- premature birth. tion and support. In addition, professional education activities • Summits were held in 25 states to put the issue of prematurity at provided more than 120,000 health care professionals with the forefront of health agendas. guidance and information on identifying patients at risk for • More than 150 buildings and landmarks — including Hoover premature labor and helping pregnant women stop smoking. Dam, Plymouth Rock, the Wrigley Building, Niagara Falls and the Empire State Building — were bathed in pink and blue lights The March of Dimes also introduced Healthy Babies Healthy to dramatize the importance of fighting prematurity and giving all Business to companies across America. Healthy Babies Healthy babies a healthy, full-term start in life. Business is a multi-dimensional, health education program for • Professional athletes, sports teams and venues stepped up their the workplace. It is designed to help enhance existing wellness support from coast to coast by substituting pink and blue for programs and includes “My 9 Months” — an online resource their team colors and playing March of Dimes for employees who are pregnant or considering pregnancy. prematurity public service announcements Informed people make better health care decisions that can at games. mean a healthier baby, which benefits business and furthers • Babytalk magazine and the March of the March of Dimes mission. Dimes co-hosted a baby shower for 50 moms who missed out on this In November, the March of Dimes marked its annual Prematurity special milestone of pregnancy Awareness Month, a national initiative to generate public aware- because their babies arrived early. ness about the growing problem of premature birth and the need for everyone to join the fight for babies’ lives. Hundreds of thousands of people got the message in one way or another: March of Dimes celebrity volunteer Jane Clayson at baby shower

8 Today’s Teens, Tomorrow’s Leaders

For some teens, volunteering is as natural as hanging out at the mall on a Saturday afternoon. And its popularity is increasing. Over the past two years, the March of Dimes Team Youth® program has broadened its scope to include more than 1.25 million volunteers. Teens who volunteer for the March of Dimes recognize the importance of giving back to the community, and play a critical role in educating peers about important health issues that can affect their future.

The Teen-2-Teen video series is a popular new educational vehicle for doing this. Besides discussing the mission of the March of Dimes as it relates to youth and volunteerism, the videos feature teens talking about important topics, including sex, smoking, alcohol, drugs, stress and peer pressure. They stress the need to take care of their bodies now to ensure healthy outcomes in pregnancies they may have later on. Judging by the 1,623 hits the series logged in during its first month on YouTube, it’s making an impression! Teens for healthy babies

China Hosts First Birth Defects Inspired by Personal Experience Prevention Day It’s not unusual for people who go through a life- In China, nearly 1 million children are born every year altering event to want to share their experience, lessons with a serious birth defect. To raise awareness of this learned and helpful insights. Jenny Minton knows all toll and of the steps parents can take to reduce the risk about the emotional rollercoaster that parents may face of having a baby with a birth defect, China hosted when their baby is born prematurely. Her book, The its first annual Preventing Birth Defects Day on Early Birds, tells the story of her premature twins who September 12, 2006. This important milestone was had to fight for their lives in neonatal intensive care. first proposed at the 2nd International Conference Minton has done numerous media interviews and pub- on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the lic appearances to get her message out. She is donating Developing World, which was held in 50 percent of the royalties from The Early Birds, with a Beijing and co-sponsored by the minimum donation of $10,000, to the March of Dimes. Ministry of Health of China, the March of Dimes, and After the premature birth of her daughter, Deb Discenza other U.S. and international discovered there was a serious lack of information, agencies. In establishing an resources and support for families going through the awareness day, China has daunting experience of premature birth. So, she found- taken a leadership role in ed and now serves as publisher of PREEMIE Magazine, the fight to reduce death and which now has corporate and organizational partners, disability due to birth defects. including the March of Dimes. The magazine is a free publication and accompanying Web site that provides much-needed information and resources for families of

Beijing conference premature babies as well as for the professionals who attendees serve them.

9 Services Engaging the Community

Special Care for Babies and Their Families

Inside the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), one family is caught in the emotional turmoil that comes with the shock of premature birth. Close by, a mother and father grieve the loss of their newborn baby boy while his

twin brother struggles to survive. For hundreds of thousands of parents Photo by Jennifer Coate just like these, the birth experience is different than they ever could have imagined, thrusting them into the frightening and overwhelming world of neonatal intensive care. For many, though, the March of Dimes NICU ® Family Support program is there to provide comfort and knowledge.

10 At hospitals that have partnered with the March of Dimes, NICU Family Support Specialists provide a reassuring presence, a caring voice, educational materials and activities that heal, inspire and empower. Families are given photos that capture babies’ “firsts” — first moments out of the incubator, first time parents hold their baby — and uplifting opportunities to create scrapbooks that preserve memories. At Parent Education nights, families learn how to become more involved in their baby’s care, how to interpret their baby’s cues, and how to create a safe and healthy home for their baby at discharge.

A pivotal aspect of March of Dimes NICU Family Support has been its role in enhancing family-centered care within the NICU setting. Through professional training as well as listening to committees of former NICU parents, NICU staff learn what is and is not comforting to families, and how to improve their practice as health care providers. More and more they view families as partners, as essen- tial to the care and decision-making for their baby in the NICU, and see that the support families are given increases bonding, closeness and confidence when it is time to take Scrapbooking to preserve their baby home. first precious moments

In a national evaluation of March of Dimes NICU Family Support, Launched in 2001 with three pilot sites, the NICU Family Support hospital administrators said that the program “changed NICU project expanded to 42 hospitals in 2006. By the end of 2007, there culture” and made our NICU “a kinder, gentler place.” Lori will be a NICU Family Support site in all 50 states, Washington, D.C. Gunther, a Masters level Counselor, former NICU mother, and and Puerto Rico. March of Dimes NICU Family Support Specialist at Albany Medical Center, in Albany, NY, sums up: “We help give parents a voice, empowering them to make choices, and later many parents want to share what they have gained from their experience to comfort others just like them.”

The Calm after the Storm

Following the devastating Gulf Coast hurricanes in 2005, prenatal and well-baby care directly to women and chil- March of Dimes volunteers, sponsors and staff provided dren. The vehicles are expected to provide up to 25,000 emergency care, clothing, diapers, formula and vitamins medical care visits during a three-year period. to mothers and babies displaced from their homes. Today, with rebuilding still going on and scarce prenatal services, Help on wheels for the needs of women and babies in the affected moms and babies areas continue to be urgent. The March of Dimes established a Hurricane Assistance Fund to continue supplying help. The Fund was augmented by a generous $3 million gift from the people of Qatar to acquire and operate three Mobile Health Centers. In 2006, the March of Dimes began the process of purchasing and equipping these and a FPO fourth Mobile Health Center designed to bring

11 sm Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait

The number of babies born prematurely continues to rise at an alarming rate across the nation. While funding vital scientific research to identify the causes of premature birth, the March of Dimes also recognized the urgent need to take immediate steps to prevent the problem. Partnering with Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute, LLC, and the Kentucky Department for Public Health, the March of Dimes is taking the best available thinking about how to prevent premature birth and putting it to the test at six major hospitals in Kentucky, where the state preterm birth rate is higher than the national average. The goal is to determine whether “bundling” proven measures can lower the number of premature births during the 3½ -year project. The measures include providing Kentucky’s moms-to-be with information and consistent health care before, during and between pregnancies; educating professionals; and raising public awareness of premature Hon. Ernie Fletcher, Governor of Kentucky birth and what can be done to prevent it. As the first state in the nation to implement Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait, Kentucky is not only enhancing the health of its own citizens but breaking new ground that will, ultimately, benefit families across the nation.

Serving the Global Community

In January, 2006, the foundation released The March of Dimes Global Report on Birth Defects: the Hidden Toll of Dying and Disabled Children. The first report to quantify the international prevalence of birth defects, including the numbers of affected births in 193 countries, it offers comprehensive recommendations for combating the problem.

The March of Dimes also reaches beyond America’s borders to serve the needs of the global community, in a variety of ways, through alliances with many different national and international organizations:

• In China, the March of Dimes is partnering with Peking University to establish a national birth defects registry. • In Oman, work with the Ministry of Health will lead to a five-year plan to develop programs to prevent birth defects, and to strengthen the care of babies affected by them. • A partnership with the American University of Lebanon will expand hospital-based monitoring of adverse birth outcomes, including birth defects, to the entire country. • In Latin America, a partnership with the Pan American Health Organization will improve the diagnosis and treatment of maternal infections that can cause birth defects and other health problems.

Ecuador‘s Quichua women

12 Advocacy Rallying the Nation Copyright Somos

13 Newborn screening: Test a drop of blood to save a baby‘s life

Dr. Robert Guthrie, 1963

Since 1961, when March of Dimes grantee Dr. Robert Guthrie developed the first mass newborn screening test for a serious metabolic disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU), the foundation Success at Saving Babies has worked for the development of tests for more such preventable disorders. The screening process involves a tiny pinprick to the Across the nation, the March of Dimes speaks on behalf of a baby’s heel for a few drops of blood. Drops that could ultimately healthy start for every baby. On Capitol Hill and in state and local save a baby’s life! governments, volunteers and staff have lobbied legislators to support budgets, programs and services vital to moms and babies. As a In 2004, the March of Dimes, with the American Academy of result, 2006 saw major legislative victories for babies — additional Pediatrics, recommended screening for 29 treatable conditions. mandates for research into the causes of premature birth, extended Thanks to the perseverance of determined volunteers, by mid-2005, health insurance coverage, and expanded newborn screening pro- 23 states screened for 21 or more life-threatening conditions, cover- grams. As the March of Dimes ramps up its advocacy efforts, ing more than 38 percent of all newborns. By mid-2006, the num- legislators listen and act — and babies ultimately win. ber increased to 31 states, a jump that means that 64 percent of all newborns will be screened for 21 or more conditions. But screening A key area of success in 2006 was an increase in the screening of of two-thirds of all America’s babies is still not enough. The March newborns for disorders that could eventually threaten their lives of Dimes will not stop advocating until all 4 million newborns are and health. It is a little known fact that the state where a baby is screened for a minimum of 29 core conditions. born determines the number of newborn screening tests he or she will receive — and, ultimately, perhaps even the baby’s future. “Expanded newborn screening is extremely vital,” says Deb Lee That’s because there are certain disorders, not evident at birth, Gould, director, Fatty Oxidation Disorders Family Support Group. that can cause brain damage, disability and even death if not “If you catch just one child, what a world of difference it makes.” diagnosed and treated early.

14 PREEMIE Act Now Law

Unlike the tiny babies it’s meant to protect, the PREEMIE Act was born not a moment too soon. It was not until the early hours of December 9 that the House approved the bill as one of the last actions of the 109th Congress. On December 22, President Bush signed it into law … a fitting holiday present for America’s future babies. This was the culmination of a year-long grassroots campaign led by March of Dimes volunteers and staff, in support of bills sponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Representatives Fred Upton (D-MO) and Anita Eshoo (D-CA). Perhaps the most important provision of the bill is authorization of a Surgeon General’s conference at which scientific and clinical experts from the private and public sectors will sit down together to formulate a national action agenda At a D.C. press conference: (l. to r.) designed to speed development of prevention strategies for preterm labor Sen. Chris Dodd; Susan Boucher, and delivery. That means increased federal support for research, education mother of premature twins; Marina Weiss, senior vice president, public and services designed to give America’s babies a better chance of being policy and government affairs of the born full term and healthy. Happy Birth Day PREEMIE Act!! March of Dimes; Sen. Lamar Alexander

Preserving Health Coverage for Millions of Infants and Children

Imagine having a child who’s seriously ill and not being able to afford the care he or she needs. It’s a specter that looms large for parents of the 6 million infants and children in the U.S. who rely on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) for their health coverage. At a recent Washington, D.C., press conference, March of Dimes President Dr. Jennifer L. Howse made a strong plea to Congress that the program be reauthorized. Without swift Congressional action in 2007, S-CHIP will expire and millions of infants and children will lose their health insurance. As a temporary reprieve, Congress has reallocated $271 million in unused S-CHIP funds to states that face shortfalls in their programs.

Dr. Jennifer L. Howse in D.C. speaking on behalf of S-CHIP

15 Volunteers Advancing the Mission Photo March of Dimes Archive

16 Marathon Biker for Babies

By bicycling more than 2,000 miles, John McClellan gave more babies a chance to be born healthy. McClellan, President and CEO of Sprague Energy in Portsmouth, N.H., did the bike tour to raise funds for the March of Dimes. This is the second year McClellan pedaled from Maine to New York and back again, speaking out about premature birth and birth defects. Since 2005, he has raised more than $75,000, and is well on the way to reaching Tom Russo and Lehman Brothers team his personal goal of $100,000. And he’s set to ride again in the spring of 2007. ® WalkAmerica Champions For his outstanding efforts on behalf of babies, The nation’s Top Walker two years in a row is Tom Russo, Vice McClellan received the 2006 Chairman and Chief Legal Officer of Lehman Brothers and a March of Dimes President’s Award member of the March of Dimes national Board of Trustees, who John McClellan for Volunteer Excellence. on his “Doing raised $126,411 in 2006. Walking with his family and Lehman More Bike Tour” Brothers team in New York City, he continued a tradition begun in the ’50s when his mother founded the March of Dimes chapter on Staten Island. To honor her memory, Tom and his brother, Tony, set up the Tina Russo Youth Leadership Award, which goes to the Top Youth Walker every year.

The Top Youth Walker in 2006 was 11-year-old Milya Buriam of Joppa, Md., who received the Russo award for raising more than Hats Off to the Top Volunteer! $27,000. She’s been involved in WalkAmerica since second grade, when she sold Beanie Babies® to schoolmates and tapped her Every year, the Elaine Whitelaw Service Award honors mother’s business contacts for sponsorship money. Milya continues the individual who exemplifies volunteerism at its best. to use the same proven business plan. Debbie Sears was the 2006 recipient for her 10 years of dedicated service and membership on the Greater Little Brendan McCarthy Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., couldn’t really walk, Chicago Division Board. As a volunteer trainer and but he did inspire his family to form a WalkAmerica Family Team Chair for March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction® in his honor. Born 14 weeks early, Brendan spent 123 days in neo- events, Sears has been parlaying culinary excellence natal intensive care fighting for his life. His parents celebrated his into record-breaking dollars. One Chicago event she survival by recruiting 123 friends and relatives to walk with them chaired raised a whopping $568,000. Sears also serves on “Brendan Jr’s Praying Walking Warriors” team. The team grew as Chair of the National Signature Chefs Training Task to 160 people, raised $39,108, and took the #1 spot for Family Force. She travels around the coun- Teams. try training and sharing her “recipes for success” with Of the more than 35,000 teams that hit the pavement every year volunteers and staff alike. in WalkAmerica, 62,000 of the event’s total walkers come from Under her leadership, 10 corporations fielding teams of at least 3,600 or more. Bank Signature Chefs Auction of America and Citigroup continue to lead the pack with nearly has grown by more than 20,000 walkers participating annually to ensure a healthy start $4 million nationally. for all our babies.

Award-winner Debbie Sears

17 “FUN“raising For Healthy Babies

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Andre Agassi and Danica Patrick accepting awards Sen. Ben Nelson and his wife serving up their specialties

Cooking Up a Feast Good Sports for for Charity in D.C. Healthy Babies in N.Y.C.

At the National Capital Area Chapter’s Tennis great Andre Agassi and Indy annual Gourmet Gala, Sen. Ben Nelson 500 driver Danica Patrick with their (D-NE) and his wife Diane were among “Sportsman” and “Sportswoman” of the lawmakers, cabinet members and the Year Awards presented at the March their spouses who served up their favorite of Dimes 23rd Annual Sports Luncheon recipes to the more than 1,000 guests in in New York City. Hosted by the New attendance. Raising $1.2 million to help York Chapter, the event raised a record- babies, the event was the most successful smashing $600,000. ever for the March of Dimes chapter in the nation’s capital.

18 Cheryl Hines, Melissa Joan Hart with son Mason, A night on the and Kellie Martin town for babies at babyLOVE

Mort and Bobbi Topfer with Lance Armstrong at Signature Chefs Auction

The Stars Shine The $37,500 Charity Young Professionals for Babies in L.A. Pooch in Austin Step Out in Florida

TV actresses Cheryl Hines, Melissa March of Dimes supporters Mort and Co-chairs Betty Castor (r.), former Joan Hart (holding son Mason) Bobbi Topfer with champion cyclist March of Dimes trustee, and Kevin and Kellie Martin, along with 400 Lance Armstrong, holding the adorable McCarty (m.), Florida’s State Insurance other Hollywood notables, attended silver lab puppy, one of the priceless Commissioner, with young profes- the California Chapter’s inaugural items that went up for bid at Signature sionals at the Florida Chapter’s 11th babyLOVE charity luncheon in Los Chefs Auction® in Austin, Texas. Bobbi Annual Wine and Food Festival. The Angeles to show their commitment to chaired this bash that brought in an event raised more than $400,000 this helping babies be born healthy. The amazing $641,000 — making it the year, and offered guests a gourmet din- event raised more than $200,000. #1 Chefs Auction event in 2006. ner cooked by a celebrity chef, a golf tournament, live auction and a Friday night wine tasting which brought out a large number of Tallahassee’s singles to offer a toast to Florida’s babies.

19 Partners Supporting the Vision

Kmart Corporation CIGNA Farmers “We truly owe the success of the campaign “CIGNA people come to work every day “Farmers has been serving families across to Kmart’s customers and associates who determined to do what it takes to enhance the nation for nearly 80 years — and we so generously embrace the March of Dimes and extend the lives of millions of people have supported the March of Dimes for and its mission to discover new ways of — men, women and children — who close to 20 years, raising millions of dollars giving every baby a healthy start.” depend on us to protect their health and for the health of mothers and babies. As a well-being. This is our prime imperative as national sponsor of WalkAmerica, Farmers Aylwin Lewis a provider of health and wellness benefits is proud of its agents and employees, who President and CEO for employees. And it’s why we’re proud to last June raised more than $1.4 million in a Sears Holdings Corporation stand with the March of Dimes in the fight single day to give all babies a healthy start against prematurity and birth defects and to in life. This year, we are committed to rais- Kmart is distinguished by having the keep babies — and their families — healthy ing the bar even farther in our support of longest corporate partnership with the and secure.” this noble cause.” March of Dimes and it has made the largest contribution to its cause — $55.5 H. Edward Hanway Paul Hopkins million over the past 23 years. Since 1984, Chairman and CEO Chairman and CEO Kmart’s commitment to the March of CIGNA Corporation Farmers Group, Inc. Dimes has remained constant, and its focus on associate teambuilding and performance CIGNA has been a national sponsor of In their second year as a national sponsor enthusiastically carries over to customers. March of Dimes WalkAmerica for 12 of WalkAmerica, Farmers continued to WalkAmerica 2006 marked Kmart’s 22nd consecutive years. Since 1994, CIGNA and engage their employees, agents and custom- year as the #1 corporate contributor, its employees have contributed $19 million ers in raising funds and creating new initia- raising $6.2 million. to the March of Dimes. In WalkAmerica tives, such as their “Be a Hero for Babies” 2006, CIGNA ranked as the #8 team in the campaign last June. Farmers’ commitment nation, raising $1.5 million. CIGNA also spans almost 20 years and includes nearly continues its national sponsorship of the $14.5 million raised through WalkAmerica Prematurity Campaign. and special events to support the March of Dimes. In 2006 alone, Farmers raised a total of $3.2 million, earning the rank of the #4 WalkAmerica Team nationwide.

20 Thank You to Our WalkAmerica® 2006 Sponsors

Famous Footwear FedEx “As a national sponsor of WalkAmerica, “FedEx built its reputation with on-time I am extremely proud of the partnership deliveries. For the last 28 years we’ve been Famous Footwear has had with March of proud to help the March of Dimes do the Dimes over the past three years. Our con- same. We look at our work with the March sumers and our employees have embraced of Dimes as more than just a fundraising the cause, showing their support by effort — we’re saving babies’ lives. Many of contributing to our in-store fundraising our employees and their families have been campaigns and purchasing the Dr. Scholl’s helped by the March of Dimes, and we are walking shoes designated the Official Shoes honored to give back.” of WalkAmerica. We are grateful for the opportunity to help further the important Kenneth A. May work March of Dimes is doing to give President and CEO every baby a healthy start.” FedEx Kinko’s

Joe Wood Since 1979, FedEx has supported the President March of Dimes through participation Brown Shoe Retail (Famous Footwear) in WalkAmerica. This year, more than 15,000 FedEx associates from all operating Famous Footwear has become a pace- companies supported the campaign as com- setter in the specialty retailer category. The mittee members, walkers, sponsors or day-of company’s successful “Give hope. Watch volunteers. Together, they raised more than miracles happen” in-store fundraising $1.6 million, ranking the company as the campaign generated more than $1 million #7 WalkAmerica team in 2006, bringing this year, ranking Famous Footwear as one them to an eight-year total of $7 million. of the top 10 WalkAmerica teams nation- For the last four years, FedEx has also wide. In addition, the company launched been a national sponsor for the Prematurity the Official Shoes of WalkAmerica with Campaign, helping with the distribution Dr. Scholl’s, donating $1 from each pair of materials that help families and health sold to the March of Dimes. Since 1997, care professionals recognize causes and Famous Footwear customers and associates possible preventions for premature birth. have contributed more than $4.1 million to ensure all babies are born healthy.

21 Thank You

WalkAmerica® Additional National Sponsorship Provided by BabyFit.com Continental Airlines Discovery Health Media Services First Response Grain Foods Foundation Mead Johnson Nutritionals Outdoor Services

Additional Media Sponsors ABC Radio Networks ® American Urban Radio Networks Prematurity Campaign NICU Family Support Business TalkRadio Network National Sponsors National Sponsors Lifestyle TalkRadio Network CIGNA Children’s Medical Ventures/ XM Satellite Radio FedEx Corporation Respironics Johnson & Johnson MedImmune, Inc. Top WalkAmerica Teams Pediatric Institute, L.L.C. Pediatrix Medical Group Kmart Corporation Motherhood Maternity Scholastic Inc. Citigroup Bank of America Corporation National Media Sponsors Annual Supporter Farmers American Baby Dey, L.P. Publix Super Markets, Inc. Working Mother Media Knowledge Learning Corporation Babytalk FedEx Corporation CIGNA Prematurity Awareness Wachovia Corporation Month Supporter Famous Footwear First Response

Funding the Mission In 2006, gross contributions to the March of Dimes included:

• WalkAmerica...... $110.4 million • Special Events...... $43.6 million • Mail Donations...... $45.6 million • Mothers March®...... $20 million • Major Gifts, including Bequests, President’s Society and Government Grants...... $21.1 million

22 Zeek Taylor 2007 National Ambassador

Born 14 weeks early

A Whole Family in Crisis

In her 26th week of pregnancy, and in danger of heart failure and coma, Betty Taylor had an emergency c-section. Ezekiel was born weighing just 1 pound, 14 ounces. Following his birth, Betty’s husband, Corey, watched helplessly as his wife and their tiny baby fought for their lives. Miraculously, both survived, but Zeek spent 103 touch-and-go days in neonatal intensive care. Even after he went home, he still faced numerous surgeries. Today, Zeek is an active, artistic 8-year-old who loves music and playing the drums.

Zeek, Betty & Corey Taylor His parents are grateful to the March of Dimes for many of the medical advances that saved Zeek’s life. As the 2007 National Ambassador Family, the Taylors are eager to share their story about premature birth and its increasing rate among black women. As Betty explains, “We feel an urgency to work with the March of Dimes — and their 3 million volunteers — to spread

Official Airline of the 2007 the message of premature birth as well as ways to help educate National Ambassador Program women about having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.” Cover photo Jupiterimages © March of Dimes Foundation, 2007 41-2165-07 5/07

March of Dimes Foundation National Office 1275 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains, NY 10605 marchofdimes.com • nacersano.org