The March for Babies will take place Sunday at Robertson Stadium in order to raise funds for research and special programs.
March of Babies is a part of the March of Dimes, and the Houston march is one of the largest in the nation.
Registration for the event will begin at 8 a.m. and the actual walk will begin at 9 a.m. Participants can either register online or in person Sunday morning.
This will be the 40th anniversary for the Houston March of Babies, with four of those years taking place at the University campus.
“We are very happy to be partnering with the University of Houston,” Jessica Lundgren, Houston director of programs, said.
As well as being a partner with UH, key sponsors for the March for Babies include KBR, Wells Fargo and Macy’s.
Everyone will be able to take part in the march, which will have two routes. One route will be from the stadium, to the bayou and back to the stadium. The other will be a family-friendly 1-mile route.
Student participation is also encouraged.
Other ways people can participate is to volunteer or form a team and pledge an amount on the marchforbabies.org website.
By doing this, they do not have to do the 5-mile march, but still give a donation.
Those that raise $200 or more will receive a March for Babies T-shirt and can possibly win a Macy’s gift card.
Spectators are also welcomed to the family-friendly event. They will be able to enjoy food, music and games.
“It will be like a big tailgate,” Lundgren said. “There will still be lots to do even if they do not walk.”
UH cheerleaders and the Spirit of Houston marching band will also be at the march.
In addition to the fun, the reason for the march is to raise funds for research and programs to promote the safe birth of healthy babies.
The event is expected to raise $3 million or more for this cause.They currently have $4 million in research grants at the Texas Medical Center in Houston.
March of Dimes community programs encourage women to take care of themselves before during and after pregnancy, according to Lundgren.
The programs help educate women on how to have a healthy pregnancy and the best outcome for their babies, and what to know before becoming pregnant.
Other services include working with health care workers to prevent and manage preterm labor and lobbying on the state level to promote legislation for the improvement of health for mothers and babies.
The chairman for March of Babies is Khambrel Marshall, who is also a member of the KPRC Local 2 Severe Weather Team. He predicts great weather for the event and also encourages others to participate this Sunday.
“Should be a good day for a walk,” Marshall said. “Winds out of the south 10 to 14 mph. Walk time temp at 9 a.m. should be between 75-78 degrees with overcast skies. There is a 30 percent chance for rain and thunderstorms with the greater chances of that in the afternoon.”
