 March
of Dimes
Spring
Season of Service
Every day 1 in 8 babies born in the U.S. arrives too soon. Premature birth can happen to any pregnant woman, and no one knows why. It is a serious, common and costly problem. Key Club members are helping by raising thousands of dollars annually for the March of Dimes Youth Program, to help prevent prematurity.
The March of Dimes was founded in 1938 by US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help fight polio. Within only 12 years, the March of Dimes had amassed more than $1 million in funds that helped researchers identify all three polio viruses. In 1954, the March of Dimes ran field trials of the polio vaccine with more than 1.8 million school children participating and the vaccine was deemed effective.
Key Club International began partnering with the March of Dimes in the 1960s by holding dances, carwashes, and bake sales to raise funds to further research in the medical field to help reduce birth defects. Key Club members around the world remember collecting dimes in hopes that someday children would be born free of birth defects. Today, Key Club members still collect change to support the March of Dimes; read on for how YOU can get involved!
The March of Dimes currently focuses on two major goals in their Prematurity Campaign:
- Raising Awareness of Prematurity
- Reducing the Rate of Premature Births
Learn more about the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign.
How can you get involved?
Key Club is proud to partner with the March of Dimes as we join together to give every baby a healthy start!
WalkAmerica is the March of Dimes largest fund raiser and typically takes place in late April. Visit walkamerica.org to sign up online and find the date and location in your area. On the site, you can register as a new or returning walker. Make sure you register as a Key Club team! If you have any questions, contact your local March of Dimes chapter. Find your local chapter by clicking here and entering your ZIP code in the box at the top of the page.
 Fundraising. Include March of Dimes materials and coin collections at your District Convention, rallies, & meetings! Host Dance auctions, mini walk-a-thons, and lock-ins! Compete amongst your classrooms, your Key Clubs, and even your districts! Contact your local March of Dimes chapter to get fundraising resources.Visit www.marchofdimes.com to local your local chapter.
March of Dimes Teen-2-Teen health education series features teens talking  to each other about the March of Dimes mission and how knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and involvement can promote health now and increase the chance that future babies will be born healthy. On the Team Youth Web site, you can:
Your club can use these materials for a community service project with your peers or middle school students. Contact your local March of Dimes for support!
Together we can make a difference. Together we can ensure that babies are born healthy. Together we can reach out around the world and know that we are ensuring a safe tomorrow for children everywhere.
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