We Fundraised, We Marched, We Celebrated

Wow, what a journey it’s been these past few months as we worked toward the March for Babies. Back in January, we set out on a quest to raise $1000 for March of Dimes. Over the course of the next four months, we met our goal, raised it twice, and met it two more times, bringing in $2799 as a team. Do we have amazing people or what?

March of Dimes

Wow, what a journey it’s been these past few months as we worked toward the March for Babies. Back in January, we set out on a quest to raise $1000 for March of Dimes. Over the course of the next four months, we met our goal, raised it twice, and met it two more times, bringing in $2799 as a team. Do we have amazing people or what?

My passion for this organization obviously stems from my previous experience with Oaklee, but here are some observations I made on the journey toward the March for Babies that continued to confirm this calling isn’t over:

1 – I will never not care about moms being healthy and babies being strong. It bothers me that babies die before they ever live their lives.
2 – If you spent an extended amount of time in the NICU with your kiddo, you support March of Dimes. As we got closer to the walk, I continued to learn of more and more girls from my high school who also had preemies and were also raising money for March of Dimes. Like me, they get it. We need this organization so others don’t have to go through what we went through.
3 – I raised money on behalf of Oaklee, but also on behalf of any unborn child I might have, because I am all too aware that I may need the assistance of March of Dimes again someday. I don’t want to be afraid of being pregnant or having another preemie, but the reality is that I have every right to be afraid, so until then, let’s continue helping moms be healthier and babies be stronger.

The fundraiser doesn’t end here – you can still make a donation if you feel called – but here is where I close this first chapter on my March for Babies. I’ll leave the link to sponsor Oaklee’s team in my posts until the 2018 event is officially over, but I’ll stop bugging you all otherwise. We came so close to $3000 this year, but if $2799 is where we stay, that’s $1799 more than we thought we could bring in. Thank you for making that happen!

March for Babies

Sponsor Oaklee's March of Dimes team.

And once more, thank you, thank you, thank you to the following donors (our village, our people, our blessing):
Grandpa and Grandma Grasmeyer
Grandpa and Grandma Merritt
Uncle Todd
Aunt Jenna and Uncle Josh
Aunt Sharon and Uncle George
Noel Montelongo
Lukas Muellerleile
Josh and Sarah Stuitje (and friends)
Eli and Betsy Cromwell
Mark and Heather Swierenga
Tyler and Tessa DeNooyer
Dan and Claire Larabel
Matt and Kim Dykstra
Lyndsay and Curt Syswerda
Bill and Emily Madsen
Alesha and Jeremy Schut
Pat and Roy DeBoer
Bill and Alie Hart
Sarah Potter
Karissa Hamm
Laura Sommerville
Jeff Kruithof
Nathan Diekevers
Lauren Edwards
Jason, Sue, Peyton and Taylor Snow
Ryan, Becky, Grant, Grace and Claire Grasmeyer
Jim and Short Holwerda
Brett Buckingham
Katy Engman