Businesses throughout Midcoast Maine have been "Going Purple for Prematurity" to support the Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes. Fundraisers for March of Dimes teams walking in the statewide March for Babies, event sponsorships, bottle drives, and cutout campaigns have been happening around the region to bring awareness to the mission of the March of Dimes.

Hannaford Supermarkets is the statewide sponsor of the Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes. King Eider's Pub, Savory Maine and Newcastle Publick House have all held fundraising nights for local teams last month.

Iris and Lindsay Poland at Hair Express in Walpole hosted a day at the salon for purple hair streaks and manicures, with part of the proceeds going to the March of Dimes. The Animal House had raffle baskets and a bake sale, and is a sponsor for the upcoming Touch-a-Truck at the Wiscasset Speedway, along with Renys, The Kidz Closet, LincolnHealth, Atlantic Motorcar, Wiscasset Auto Parts/NAPA, Cheney Insurance, the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper, Clark Farms, and Julie's Critter Care. Renys also did a cutout in their statewide campaign for the March of Dimes. 

Duck Puddle Campground hosted a Family Fun Day on Saturday, May 9 and will be donating the proceeds. The March of Dimes will also be participating in Pirate Rendezvous in Damariscotta on June 20.

Family Teams Specialist for the Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes and president of The Animal House in Damariscotta Aubrey Martin had a mission of her own — to bring awareness about the March of Dimes to midcoast Maine, to honor the memory of her son who was born too early, but also to help bring the message of hope to other Midcoast families. 

Nearly a hundred walkers are walking in the March for Babies from the Midcoast area. The March for Babies take place in Portland, Augusta, Rockland, Lewiston, Saco-Biddeford, Bangor and Houlton.

Martin's family team, Team Garron, comprising family and friends in Wiscasset, Bristol, Walpole, Portland, Damariscotta and Newcastle raised nearly $5,600 this year in the March for Babies.

The mission of the March of Dimes is to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and neonatal death through research, advocacy, education and programs like the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) Family Support at Maine Medical Center and Centering Pregnancy program at Midcoast Hospital.

Folic acid, the polio vaccine, progesterone therapy, surfactant therapy, newborn screenings for genetic disease, heart defects, and the causes of prematurity are all March of Dimes research. Jackson Laboratories on Mt. Desert Island does much of the research in Maine and families across the state benefit from partnerships with area hospitals. 

Midcoast businesses all jumped at the chance to get involved, as it seems that everyone has been touched by March of Dimes research. 

"Even if you don't know anyone who has had a complicated pregnancy, if you have been a baby or had a baby in the last 76 years in this country, you are a March of Dimes baby. Until I received a bereavement package at the hospital when we lost our son at 23 weeks, I had no idea what the March of Dimes did, and I am finding that a lot of people don't. It is my mission to change that. There are resources for pregnant women so that they can have healthy pregnancies. There are resources to help families navigate the NICU. There are resources for families who have babies with birth defects. There are resources for grieving families. And that resource is the March of Dimes," says Martin.

For anyone interested in walking in the Midcoast March for Babies on May 17 at Trackside Station, sponsorship of the upcoming Touch-a-Truck at the Wiscasset Speedway on June 28, or volunteer opportunities, please contact: abmartin@marchofdimes.org.