March for Babies 2011-Family Teams

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Our 2011 March for Babies Stars!!!

It's been a great year and we would like to thank some very special people that made the 2011 March for Babies so successful!  We had more teams out for the walk this year than in prior years and we saw a 33% increase in donations raised!  Great Job Dallas Family Teams! 

We are so thankful to each family team for everything you do to bring awareness, raise money for the cause, and represent the face of this mission.  We do everything we do for families just like yours!

Our Top 20 Teams as of May 25th are:

Plano NICU Parents

Team Grace - Dallas

Heart's Content

Team Truman

Cinco

Team Harpster

B4B

Parkland NNICU

Omicron Sigma1914

Rynes Rockstars

Aron Family

The Preemie-um Team

Lily's Team

Beck POWER Walkers

Running for Aidan

Miracle Alex

Pocketful of Miracles

The Babey Savers

Gopal Gang

Leyton's Village

Our Top 10 Family Team Walkers as of May 25th are:

Tracy Sievers - Heart's Content

Kara Price - Team Truman

Karen & Jack Rynes - Rynes Rockstars

Lori Aron - Aron Family

Katie Smith - Lily's Team

Grace Green - Team Grace - Dallas

Shannon & Lou Miramontes - Plano NICU Parents

Christina Williamson - Team Emma & Joshua

Audra Murphy - The Preemie-um Team

Cindy Guthrie - Plano NICU Parents

We do not close out the 2011 March for Babies totals until the end of November.  If you don't see your team name in the Top 20 but would like to be there, it's not too late.  Many of our teams continue to fund raise throughout the year!

March for Babies-themed FedEx Car to be at March for Babies!

Preemies, Jake and Josh Aron, helped design the FedEx car to represent March for Babies this year!  The boys had a blast working with the designers! 

We are thrilled to share with you the incredible experience Jake and Josh had this past weekend with the March for Babies-themed NASCAR. Just click over to the new page on the Aron family's website with all the details, including links to more pictures, video and audio: http://jakeandjosh.net/NASCAR.aspx

Be sure to look for the March for Babies FedEx car in front of the Family Teams Tent!

March for Babies Day Info

March for Babies is just a few days away and we're so excited!

Here's some answers to the most frequently asked questions:

What do I need to bring?-Strollers (if needed) – this is a long walk for little ones and we accommodate for strollers on the shuttle buses and at the park. (please no bikes or roller blades)
-Sunscreen – forecast calls for a sunny day. Time to break out the sunscreen and sunglasses!
-Water – there will be water at the tent afterwards and along the walk path at checkpoints, but it is always a good idea to bring your own.
-Snacks – you will want to bring snacks especially if you have little ones. We will have lunch provided after the walk but there won’t be any snacks passed out along the way.
-Cash/Check Donations and Sponsor Form – Please bring any cash and check donations to the Family Teams Tent either before or after the walk. Please print off your Sponsor Form to ensure that the donations are posted to the correct team. You MUST have your Sponsor Form in order to pick up your incentive t-shirt for those that have raised over $200.
-Tennis Shoes – you will want to wear tennis shoes for this event. The walk route is 5 miles, so good comfortable shoes are a must!

How do I get to the park?
Please see Parking Info sheets. We have 3 locations you can park. They are Valley View Mall (see map for parking area to use), Mockingbird and White Rock DART stations. Please allow 30 minutes to park and ride the free shuttles to the park. Buses start at 7am from each location and end at 2pm. Get to your parking location EARLY to allow enough time for you to fully enjoy the pre-walk festivities. There will be vendor tents along Baby Boulevard passing out freebies and lots of fun tents to see!

Where do I go when I get to the park?
Please see Norbuck Park Tent Map. You will see that #5 is the Stage which is right next to the Start/Finish Line. This is where you need to be at 8:30am. The Preemie Pit is right by the stage and will be where all Family Teams are meeting. Allow enough time to stroll down Baby Boulevard (along the top of this map) and enjoy the music coming from the stage. Opening Ceremonies begin on the stage at 8:45am.

What happens during the walk?
The walk begins promptly at 9am! Be at the front of the line and enjoy the 5 mile walk along White Rock Lake. For those with small children that are unable to walk the whole 5 miles, we have a 1 mile turn around called the “Tiny Tot Turn Around”. This allows you to enjoy the walk but also still be close to the park. There are 7 checkpoints (including the Tiny Tot Turn Around) along the walk route where people will be passing out water and many of these stops have portable restrooms. Be sure to enjoy the Path of Hope signs along the walk route!

What happens after the walk?
Please head back to the Family Teams Tent (#17 on the Tent Map) when you pass the Finish Line. The Family Teams Tent has moved to a NEW LOCATION this year straight back before Baby Boulevard! Please be sure your walkers are aware of this new location and that they all have the Tent Map for reference. We will have sandwiches, chips, water, and cookies at the Family Teams Tent for lunch! We will have some fun things going on at the tent when you get back from the walk! You can also turn in your Cash and Check Donations at this time and receive your incentive t-shirt if you’ve raised over $200.

Come join us for a great day to walk for all babies!

Family Team Highlight - Team Cinco

We have a Family Team called "Team Cinco" that has raised over $7,000 in the past three years. They walk in honor of Clifton Owen Brown V, or as his parents call him "V". Little V surprised his parents, Cliff and Mandy Brown by coming 15 weeks early at 2lb2oz. After several months in the NICU and many of the ups and downs that preemies endure, V came home to his family. He is now a healthy and happy 2 year old that has the cutest mohawk you've ever seen!

Cliff and Mandy Brown told V's story recently at a Farmer's Insurance Kickoff. Farmer's Insurance is one of our biggest sponsors and the employees were inspired by hearing their story. Thanks to the Brown Family for sharing V with us and giving back in such a great way!