Aloha … from BetheGifford raises money for March of Dimes
You can too: March for Babies upcoming April 26
Gifford Medical Center coder Tammy Hammond, second from left, hands March of Dimes Vermont State Director Roger Clapp a $585 “check.” Hospital employees, under Hammond's leadership, raised the funds for the March of Dimes earlier this month by wearing “Blue Jeans for Babies.” The March of Dimes raises money to help prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Thus, fittingly joining them in the picture are Gifford Birthing Center nurses Ronda Flaherty, left, and Pam Overstrom with a healthy Gifford newborn.
RANDOLPH, March 27, 2009 – Gifford Medical Center employees, under the leadership of Tammy Hammond, raised $585 for the March of Dimes earlier this month when staff donned “blue jeans for babies.”
Blue Jean for Babies takes place across the nation as workplaces like Gifford give employees the opportunity to wear jeans to work for a day in exchange for a $5 donation to the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes is the nation’s leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. It raises funds through a variety of events to help prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
Hammond of Randolph has been leading Gifford’s Blue Jeans for Babies event for the last several years and this month raised a record amount as 112 Gifford employees participated.
On Friday morning, Hammond awarded March of Dimes Vermont State Chapter Director Roger Clapp an over-sized check for the $585 amount.
“I would just like to recognize that Tammy’s been a long-time and ardent supporter of the March of Dimes, and we’re especially grateful to her this year, as she has done such a great job in what has been a challenging year for us,” Clapp said in accepting the gift.
Hammond, a coder at Gifford and a mother, also organizes Gifford’s team for the upcoming March for Babies – five-mile fund-raising walks that take place throughout the nation.
Hammond’s past efforts to raise funds for the March of Dimes through Blue Jeans for Babies and the March for Babies have earned Gifford awards from the March of Dimes.
“This is a really important cause to me,” Hammond says of why she supports the organization. “Our babies are our future and helping to give them a healthy start by supporting the March of Dimes’ work is an important and rewarding endeavor.”
Gifford additionally is a sponsor of the 2009 March for Babies walks in both Randolph Center and in Montpelier on April 26. Check-in for both walks begins at 8 a.m. and the walk starts at 9 a.m. The Randolph walk begins at Vermont Technical College. The Central Vermont walk starts at Montpelier High School.
There is still time to sign-up to walk. To get started or learn more about the March for Babies go to www.marchforbabies.orgwww.marchforbabies.org.