By TIM PRESTON
ASHLAND — Warming up for the main event April 25 in Ashland’s Central Park, team captains and other leaders involved with this year’s March of Dimes March for Babies gathered Thursday evening to kick off the campaign to generate $96,000 within the community.
“It is not about sick babies. It is about all babies,” said March of Dimes spokesman Lauren Buskey, who expressed complete confidence the group of more than a dozen team captains will be able to motivate members of their teams to reach the financial goal.
“The captains are really the backbones of their teams,” she said, adding most of the teams participating in the annual March for Babies event come from local offices and corporations, as well as families whose personal lives have been affected by children’s health issues. While there are fewer family-based team volunteers, Buskey said they represent “the heart” of the March of Dimes mission.
Buskey also introduced Donny and Marci Prater and their two sons, Will and Rylan, the Ashland area March of Dimes Ambassador Family for 2009.
Marci Prater, who is principal at Catlettsburg Elementary, described waiting for a simple diagnosis of a suspected problem and growing increasingly frightened as the short wait for an answer grew, eventually resulting in news their young son had died for 11 minutes during the procedure.
She further described their feelings and frustrations as they saw their little boy attached to many machines and a prescribed lack of stimulation.
“All we could do is stand by his bedside and pray,” she recalled, soon informing the audience her son is expected to fully recover from a birth defect as he matures.
Donny Prater said their son “is as normal as normal can be,” and urged anyone interested in learning more about his medical challenges to visit www.milestomiracles.com.
“We see Rylan, our miracle, as a part of this future,” his mother said in hope of adding further inspiration to the collected March of Dimes team leaders. “We are certain that God has great plans for Rylan and all the other miracles that the March of Dimes serves.”
For more information about local march of Dimes efforts, contact Buskey by e-mail at lbuskey@marchofdimes.com or call the local March of Dimes office at (606) 329-0703.
TIM PRESTON can be reached at tpreston@dailyindependent.com or at (606) 326-2651.
