The March of Dimes Dallas and Fort Worth divisions are pleased to announce Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council President and CEO W. Stephen Love will serve as the 2014 March for Babies® Chair for both cities’ walks.



“I am honored to be the 2014 Chair. As a father and grandfather, I know first-hand the important work March of Dimes does for the community,” said Love. “For employers, a premature baby averages 11 times the annual cost of a healthy baby. Effective prenatal care and education represents not only tremendous cost savings for health care expenses, but most importantly healthy newborns. With the state’s many uninsured residents and more than 50,000 premature babies born annually, supporting March for Babies is more crucial today than ever before.”

Love has selected Pam Stoyanoff, Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for Methodist Health Systems, and Joseph DeLeon, President of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth, to co-chair the Dallas and Fort Worth events, respectively.

Each chair will play an integral role in raising awareness and vital revenue to help March of Dimes prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality locally. Love, Stoyanoff and DeLeon are assembling their 2014 Chairmen’s Committee, which will be released at a later date.

March for Babies is March of Dimes signature event and the nation’s premier fundraising walk. It gives hope to nearly half a million babies born too soon each year in the U.S. The money raised supports programs in North Texas that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find the problems that threaten the health of our babies – approximately 1 in 8 babies is born prematurely in the DFW area. March of Dimes is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and continuing its work to help more babies get a healthy start in life.

The Dallas and Fort Worth divisions will host their annual March for Babies on Saturday, April 12. In Dallas, the walk will take place at White Rock Lake’s Norbuck Park again, while Fort Worth’s event will be held at Panther Island Pavilion for the first time. More than 30,000 North Texas residents; representing 450 companies, organizations and family teams touched by the March of Dimes mission are expected to participate. March for Babies is scheduled to start at 9 a.m., rain or shine, with opening ceremonies slated to begin at 8:45.

For more information about March for Babies, contact Eva Lavine in Dallas: elavine@marchofdimes.com, 972/232-1346; or Kimberly Robinson in Fort Worth: krobinson@marchofdimes.com, 682/201-3037. Local residents can sign up for the 2014 event at www.marchforbabies.org beginning in December.

ABOUT MARCH OF DIMES
With chapters (states) and divisions (cities) nationwide, March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. About 4 million babies are born in the United States each year, and the March of Dimes has helped each and every one through 75 years of research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs.