I won't lie that what got me interested began with the Electric Slide. It doesn't shame me. I'm not embarrassed. If anything, I'm proud. If it weren't for the flash mob that happened at the very beginning of this month, I wouldn't have even remembered. For those who don't know: On March 1, the Longwood Company of Belly Dance organized a flash mob in Dorrill Dining Hall where they, along with President Patrick Finnegan, danced the Electric Slide to Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby."
But what am I talking about? This year's March of Dimes. The name might be familiar. You've probably seen it before on those small cardboard stands near the cash registers of nearby fast food restaurants, holes cut into the material for quarters to be placed with a picture of a child near the top of it to show who you are helping and why you should feel good for helping.
On the March of Dimes website, it says, "Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality." Every year, people create teams and raise money for this cause. Most of all, they march. On April 1, Longwood students are able to be a part here in Farmville by signing up online at the March of Dimes website to join or create a team and start fundraising little by little.
Unfortunately, you might be reading this thinking something along the lines of, "So what? Why should I care? I'm already doing Relay for Life/ volunteering at a local animal shelter/adopting a panda/spreading the word of Kony 2012 on Facebook." You're probably occupied with school, too. Maybe you have a few extra-curricular activities. Your life is probably occupied at this point with many other things.
Funnily enough, the March of Dimes website actually has a section titled, "Why March for Babies?" It says, "When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies."
You are not only helping yourself. You are helping mothers, children, families and the future by contributing to research that could further save future lives.
And if you think being a part of March of Dimes is hard and not worth the effort, think again. And then think a few more times because apparently you're not thinking.
March of Dimes isn't something that's going to keep you up at night for hours as you watch the minutes on the clock count down to a deadline. It's not something you have to worry about looming over your shoulder, saying, "Yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and ask you to do more than that." It's not something that will rob you of your money, your soul or your self-esteem.
It's just March of Dimes. It only takes a minute or two to join or start a team and create a goal. If you are unsure if your contributions will even make a difference, the website shows how your support helps with a picture of a baby and various facts floating around her when the cursor hovers over a picture of an eye to show how contributions contribute to eye health, a heart to show contributions to heart health and more.
This is one of those moments where you don't have to worry about failure. There is no failure if you try. Raising $100 or $200 might seem impossible at first. When I look at my bank account, I certainly think so.
In a past issue of The Rotunda published on March 6, Annie Catron, spirit chair of the Relay for Life Committee, spoke to students on how easy it is to raise money for Relay for Life. Catron said, "Some people don't realize that it doesn't take that much to fundraise. If you asked 20 people for just $5, that's $100 right there ... It really does add up ... It makes such a big impact in the end." The same principle applies here to March of Dimes.
I often want to extend my help to my Lancer community through extra-curricular activities. And sometimes I think I'm making a difference by dropping a quarter into a March of Dimes cardboard stand while dumping my purse on the table for a burger and fries. But sometimes it's good to try and take strides a little further than before to try to really help others.
I can go a day without a burger and fries. I can sacrifice a coffee or two. That's all it takes to make a difference. Caring can feel good. So can making a difference.
If interested in making a big difference to mothers, infants and families everywhere, feel free to find more information on the March of Dimes website or the Facebook page for March of Dimes at Longwood University.
The March begins at Centra Southside Community Hospital at 2 p.m. on April 1.
