WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., July 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the incidence of premature birth rises in the U.S., Kmart's partnership with March of Dimes is steadfast. For the past 25 years, Kmart's associates and customers have raised an unprecedented $71 million through March for Babies(SM), the March of Dimes' premier event. This year, Kmart's 2008 March for Babies campaign topped the charts -- raising over $8 million towards helping ensure that all babies are born healthy.
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Catharine Aboulhouda, the 2008 March of Dimes National Ambassador, was expected to be her family's Halloween treat; instead she arrived on the Fourth of July, weighing 1 pound, 10 ounces. Now a healthy 5-year-old, Catharine's 16 weeks premature birth and subsequent 113 days in the NICU are testament to the role March of Dimes has played for the past 70 years in improving the health of each baby born today.
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"We are so grateful to Kmart, its customers and associates, for their incredible commitment to community and especially March of Dimes, said Susan, Catharine's mother. "Their extraordinary efforts are allowing March of Dimes to achieve its goal of ensuring that every baby, like Catharine, has a healthy start in life that much sooner."
"Kmart's commitment to March of Dimes in protecting the health of all babies and their families is unparalleled," said Dr. Jennifer Howse, president March of Dimes. "We want to thank their customers and associates who give so generously year after year and week after week to ensure that babies in our communities get the best chance for a healthy start in life. We can imagine a world without premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality, and with partners like Kmart, we know we will get there."
"We truly owe the success of our fundraising efforts to Kmart's customers and associates, who year after year embrace the mission of the March of Dimes and help us continue to make a difference in the lives of families in the communities where we live and work," said Don Germano, senior vice president and general manager, Kmart Retail. "We thank our customers for responding in such a generous way to the opportunity to help while they shop." This initiative is part of Kmart for Kids(SM), the umbrella program for the retailer's philanthropic initiatives, which focuses on improving children's health and wellness. Kmart for Kids also aims at making it easier for mom to take care of the most important people in her life while she shops.
About Kmart
Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Martha Stewart Everyday and Route 66. For more information visit the company's website at http://www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at http://www.searsholdings.com.
About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies(SM), the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org.
SOURCE March of Dimes
