March of Dimes hosts 55th annual March for Babies on the North Shore
It's the country's oldest charitable walk, and on Sunday, it continued for another year in Pittsburgh.
The March of Dimes held its 55th annual March for Babies on the North Shore on Sunday morning. This event helps support families facing maternal and infant health problems.
Within the crowds are stories turned into action.
"I had a really high-risk pregnancy, and my son passed away a couple of days after he was born," Kathy Kitterman, who received the 2025 John Bricker Award, said.
Kitterman sought to keep her son's memory alive, just like many hope to do with their children.
"My husband and I were like, 'We've gotta do something to bring some purpose and meaning to his life,'" she said.
She's given a lot of effort. Ketterman has helped raise about $130,000 for the March of Dimes.
On Sunday, she was showered with praise.
"I'm very proud that we've been able to contribute what we have over the last 19 years," she said.
Hanah Goodman is part of this year's ambassador family. She remains invested.
"It has really helped me heal personally," she said.
Her son, Avitt, was born prematurely at 35 weeks.
He spent some time in the NICU, about two weeks there for underdeveloped lungs," Goodman said.
It's why she and these thousands keep coming back. They're trying to raise $1 million.
"This money goes into research and education events," Jim Burgess, SVP of operations at Highmark Wholecare, said. "It goes into funding milk banks, food pantries, and diaper banks."
One in 10 babies in our country is born prematurely, according to the March of Dimes.
The organization says a woman dies every 12 hours from pregnancy and childbirth complications.
"You also have a lot of emotions about maybe not doing what you thought you could, like guilt," Goodman said.
She and others said a support network from this organization made them feel less lonely.
"It helped my family tremendously through fellowship in just coming together during our healing," Tina Morascyzk, market board of directors chair for March of Dimes of Western and Central Pa., said.
The participants hope that with every step, they can help give babies and moms the best start possible.
"We're optimistic that the funding we're doing there [and] the walk that we're doing here, the money that we bring forward will help us surpass where we were back before COVID," Jim Burgess, SVP of operations at Highmark Wholecare, said.
For Kitterman and others, it's the driving force.
"No matter how short someone's life is, it still has an impact, and it can still bring meaning to the world," she said.
KDKA-TV's Kristine Sorensen serves as event emcee
Having a baby is one of the most awe-inspiring experiences, but for many families, it doesn't happen the way they hoped or planned, and that's why the March of Dimes raises money to fund research to give all moms and babies a healthy start.
For 22 years now, I have been volunteering every spring as an emcee for the walk and at their fall Signature Chefs Auction.
It started with helping fund the research that developed the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955. In fact, my own aunt and uncle had polio and lived with lifelong disabilities because of it, but thanks to the vaccine, children no longer have to deal with the effects of this disease.
Today, the March of Dimes mission continues to help children because there is a maternal health crisis in the U.S., which is the most dangerous high-income nation for childbirth, especially for women and babies of color. The March of Dimes particularly funds research related to pre-term birth, which is when babies are born too soon.
The March of Dimes helped fund research that led to the development of a treatment called surfactant that helps pre-term babies' lungs develop so they can survive.
I know many children who are alive and thriving because of this medication, including the son of fellow KDKA-TV colleague, Meghan Schiller, who emceed the walk with me.
I am so blessed to have three children of my own who were born healthy without any serious complications in childbirth, and I know much of that is thanks to the March of Dimes' work. That's why I'm so honored to help them raise the $800,000 they've already raised in the Western and Central Pa. region at March for Babies this year. It's always inspiring to see the strength and resilience of the families, who have often gone through difficult experiences, come together to celebrate their families, each other, and the March of Dimes.
If you'd like to learn more about the resources of the March of Dimes or if you'd like to join me at any of their events, check out the website for the Western and Central Pennsylvania region.
