Blue Jean for Babies was started in my hometown 19 years ago and has since become a national fundraising drive for March of Dimes.
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=163429
Wear jeans to work in Berks and help a preemie or two
By Dan Kelly
Reading
Eagle
Ian and Lindsey Macomber's first son, Skylar, was born about eight
weeks prematurely.Lindsey said she knew her son would need intensive care in the
hospital.But she never dreamed the health of her children would be aided by
office employees wearing bluejeans to work.William Gage said he didn't know much
about the March of Dimes when he and his wife, Gwen, started the Blue Jeans for
Babies event in Berks County 19 years ago.The concept is simple enough: Buy a
button for $5 for the privilege of wearing jeans to work.The program started off
modestly but began spreading in its second year and now is part of the March of
Dimes national fundraising campaign. It raises about $35,000 to $40,000 each
year in Berks, Gage said."We had a friend who was involved in the March of Dimes
and she wanted to come up with something unique so we all put our heads together
and that's what we came up with," said Gage, owner of Gage Personnel of West
Reading.
The Macombers say Gage may make light of the contributions of Blue
Jeans for Babies and the March of Dimes, but their 1-year-old twin sons are
living proof.Their twins, Addison and Riley, were born 15 weeks prematurely on
June 17, 2008.Addison was 1 pound, 5 ounces, and Riley was 1 pound, 3 ounces.
Normal is about 8 pounds. Each was a little over 12 inches long. Normal is 18 to
21 inches long."Addison and Riley were also treated in Reading Hospital's
neonatal intensive care unit but the difference in their treatment in just the
past eight years since Skylar was born was amazing," Lindsey said. "The March of
Dimes funds research for babies and I credit them with many of the advances that
have been made."Other than being small for their age and a little behind the
curve in their crawling, Addison and Riley are doing well, their mom
said.Lindsey, Ian and the twins will be at the annual Blue Jeans for Babies Bash
at the Crowne Plaza Reading hotel, Wyomissing, on Monday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in
the Designer Ballroom to share their story and offer their endorsement of the
March of Dimes.The party is open to the public so if you didn't get your button
at work you can get one at the door, Gage said.Contact Dan Kelly: 610-371-5040
or dkelly@readingeagle.com.
If you have a chance, check out http://www.marchofdimes.com/ and look for your local Blue Jeans for Babies event and please consider purchasing a button for $5!


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