March of Dimes, there are many people who does not know about this nonprofit organization. It is an organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the past 80 years, March of Dimes had helped millions of babies, especially premature babies, survive and thrive through their medical treatment.

The creation of March of Dimes, or the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, began with former President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his struggle with polio. The success behind this, March of Dimes began to focus on fighting birth defects, premature birth and infant deaths with innovations like newborn screenings, surfactant therapy, education for medical professionals, the public about best practices and lifesaving research. March of Dimes advocate for those who needs them the most, mothers and babies.

With this mind, there are a lot of organizations that creates fundraisers or events where they donate whatever money they raise to March of Dimes. In Peoria, IL, one of the biggest cities in the Central part of Illinois, the Zeta Phi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc at Bradley University decided to choose March of Dimes as their philanthropy of choice for their Rhomania Week. Rhomania Week is a week when Sigma Gamma Rho plans events to give back to their community by fundraising for a nonprofit organization to having events that benefits their peers. All money that is raised will be donated to the research for the March of Dimes organization.

We are just advocators, a piece of the entire picture for what Illinois is doing for March for Dimes. In the state of Illinois, we increased and protected access to care for mothers, babies and their families. Initiatives who passed includes protecting health coverage for women who are childbearing. Illinois also expanded access to the drug 17P to prevent preterm birth.

All of this would not have happen with funds, and they get the funds from people’s donations. According to the March of Dimes website, “Premature birth (birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and its complications are the #1 cause of death of babies in the United States”. In the United States, about 380,000 babies are born prematurely each year. The preterm birth rate is 9.8% in the United States, meaning that 1 in 10 babies is born too soon.

To all Bradley Students, if you see the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc or the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, drop a dime or whatever change you have for March of Dimes.