Flextronics Launches $100K Campaign for March of Dimes

The March of Dimes, a national nonprofit that aims to prevent premature births and birth defects, has an annual fundraiser and walk called the March for Babies. This year's goal for Silicon Valley is $1.2 million, and companies such as Flextronics plan to raise $100,000.

With the March for Babies event set for April 30 at Vasona Park in Los Gatos, Flextronics had a kick-off event on Monday. Flextronics March for Babies ambassador, Tracy Heilig, and Cisco March for Babies ambassador, Kim Peterson, spoke to an auditorium of Flextronics employees about their experiences as mothers of premature twins.

Flextronics employees had already raised more than $30,000 through fundraisers and raffles prior to the event.  

“Our hope is to surpass our goal,” said Heilig.

"As you see from today's events, we had a massive turnout," said Michael Clarke, president of Flextronics Infrastructure and South Bay chairman for the 2011 March for Babies. "I think we've got 1,500, 1,600 people turned out ..."

With the April 30 march coming up, he said, the company will make up the difference if the employees are short of reaching their $100,000 goal.

According to the latest Santa Clara County Public Health Department figures, preterm births have increased here since 2001. Ten percent of the 26,942 live births in this county were considered preterm births in 2006. The figure is similar statewide, but a report by the California Department of Public Health shows racial disparities. African-American mothers as a group are likely to carry higher rates of births (under 37 weeks) at 15 percent, while rates for mothers of Native American descent are 13 percent. 

According to the March of Dimes website, the national goal is to reduce the rate to 7.6 percent.

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