The 2011 March for Babies fundraiser kickoff event will be on Feb. 17 at the Student Recreation Center.

The kickoff is an effort to get team leaders and volunteers excited about the fundraising efforts. The supporters will also receive important information concerning the March for Babies, said Jessica Callahan, Senior Community Director of the North Central Division of the March of Dimes.

The March for Babies is a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes funds research for premature birth in addition to providing comfort and information to families who are affected, according to the University of Alabama press release.

Callahan said that around 70 people are expected to attend the kickoff from 12-1 p.m. Although this event is not open to the public, Callahan encouraged students who want to get involved to contact Jami Stehlin, president and founder of the March of Dimes Collegiate Council at the University of Alabama. Teams for the March for Babies can also be created at marchforbabies.org.

“I would like to say that the participation level of students has drastically increased, and we are grateful for that support,” Callahan said.

The event is hosted by the 2011 March for Babies revenue chair, Robert Kuhn, president of Capstone Bank. This is his third year to be the chairman of the March for Babies, he said. Kuhn also said several speakers will be at the luncheon on Feb. 17.

“(The March for Babies) is a great cause, and it’s one of the oldest fundraisers in the United States,” Kuhn said. “These babies are our future.”

Fundraising efforts will all benefit the March for Babies in Tuscaloosa on April 30.  The fundraising goal this year is $150,000. Stehlin said the March for Babies is the largest annual fundraiser and will start at the University of Alabama Recreation Center.

“My job was to start a council,” Stehlin said. “Our group is dedicated to promote the mission of March for Babies.”

Other student organizations such as the Future Business Leaders of America and the Public Relations Student Society of America are also supporting the March for Babies, Stehlin said.

Another fundraising event, Dodgeball for Babies, will be on Feb. 26, Stehlin said. Contact Stehlin at [email protected] for more information.

“The community has always supported this,” Kuhn said. “In the past, we’ve been successful.”

Ashley Giambalvo, a volunteer for March for Babies, said she plans to attend Thursday’s kickoff and that she and her husband Josh have been volunteers since 2008. The Giambalvo’s son, Brayden, passed away in March 2008. He was born prematurely and fought complications.

“We do it because of our son who passed away, so other families don’t have to go through what we went through,” Giambalvo said.