Just before the 10th annual Gators March for Babies 5K fundraiser, Florida received a D grade on the 2013 March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card released this month.
Kyle Croft, March of Dimes community director for Alachua County, said although the grade was not a change from last year, the preterm birth rate in Florida has increased from 13 percent in 2011 to 13.7 percent in 2012. Croft said this increase is a temporary setback in efforts to reach a 9.6 percent preterm birth rate by 2020.
“I think there’s a misconception that babies are born prematurely and all that means is they spend a couple of extra days in the hospital, run a few tests and go home,” Croft said. “This report card really shows that premature birth truly is still a problem.”
Claudia Weeks, director of staff for Gators March for Babies, said the low report grade indicates the importance of this year’s walk, which will take place Nov. 24.
“The fact that we are still at a D rating shows that there’s so much work that we can do, so much research that needs to be done and so much money that needs to be raised for that,” said Weeks, a 19-year-old UF sustainability studies sophomore.
Croft said Gators March for Babies, the UF organization for March of Dimes, has set a record-high fundraising goal of $100,000 for this year’s walk in honor of its 10-year anniversary.
Students, faculty and staff can register to participate or make a donation anytime before or on the day of the walk. The walk will be on UF’s campus, starting on Turlington Plaza at 2 p.m.
About $70,000 has been raised for this year’s walk so far, Croft said. Last year, Gators March for Babies raised $62,000. The record for fundraising during the past 10 years is about $80,000 in 2011.
“The goal is in sight,” Croft said. “We could realistically reach that goal, but we definitely need all the help we can get.”
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 11/13/2013 under the headline "Gators March for Babies goals high"
