For additional information please contact Jessica Schlimme or 231.735.4243.
Still want to help us? FUND THE MISSION
All March of Dimes Signature Chefs events will be held virtually this year. While we may not be together in person, we rely on your continued support to provide innovative programs and services for moms, moms-to-be and babies who may be at a greater risk of becoming sick and not receiving proper or equitable care.
The chefs, volunteers and guests who make up our Signature Chefs Events community are coming together in new, innovative ways to suport moms and babies this year.
We are following state mandated guidelines in response to COVID-19 and will not have an in-person event this year. So, we are preparing an exciting, new Virtual Gala for your 2020 March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction experience!
We need your help now more than ever. Your support funds:
Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide, and 1 million will die before their first birthday. Your gift helps the March of Dimes fund research, education, advocacy and programs that help more moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies.
Join us for our annual gathering of Traverse City’s finest culinary talent in support of the March of Dimes. Held at The Hagerty Center on Northwestern Michigan College campus, you will enjoy tasting the signature dishes of local chefs before taking your seats for the Live Auction and Fund the Mission. We encourage you to bid on one of our unique packages. Raise your paddle and give generously to save babies! 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Cuisine Tasting and Silent Auction 7:30 pm Live Auction and Fund the Mission
Signature Chefs events feature local culinary talent who create a selection of fine cuisine for an exclusive audience. Our chefs are artists, innovators and philanthropists, and we look forward to sharing their talents at the event.
Restaurant name Dishes: dish one, dish two, dish three, dish four, dish five
Thanks to the leadership of our volunteer committee, I am honored to present the 2017 Signature Chefs event. Everyone involved has helped us put together a wonderful array of auction packages for you to bid on, including great gifts, exotic getaways and, of course, fabulous dining experiences. The March of Dimes and the families we support are grateful for the generous team who has made this evening possible. Keep in mind, each time you bid, we come that much closer to making prematurity a thing of the past. Garrett Boursaw Ford Insurance Agency EVENT CHAIR
Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide, and 1 million will die before their first birthday. The March of Dimes works to end premature birth and other problems that threaten our babies. We help moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. If something goes wrong, we offer information and comfort to families. We research the reasons why babies are born too soon or very sick and work on preventions. Your Fund the Mission gift helps the March of Dimes fund research, education, advocacy and programs that help more moms have full-term pregnancies and healthy babies. Fund the Mission gifts are 100% tax deductible and can be made during the Live Auction or by clicking the Help Fund the Mission link at the top of this page.
Through partnerships with companies, organizations and individuals, the March of Dimes is able to create unique moments for your clients, vendors and leadership teams. They participate in an exclusive dining event while supporting a critical cause. Sponsorship opportunities are available at a variety of levels for our Signature Chefs events, providing you with brand recognition, civic engagement and an exclusive client entertainment opportunity within the event. We look forward to working with you to discuss your partnership with the March of Dimes. Please contact Jessica Schlimme at 231.735.4243 or email [email protected] for more details on how to partner with the Traverse City March of Dimes. Sponsorship Information
Fund the Mission Together we can give them tomorrow Premature birth is the most serious infant health problem in the United States today. It is, in fact, the #1 killer of babies. It affects more than half a million babies nationwide each year, with over 15,000 in Michigan alone. The U.S. preterm birth rate is still too high at 11.4 percent—higher than that of most developed nations—while Michigan’s preterm birth rate is even higher at 11.9 percent. Premature birth costs society more than $26 billion a year. Babies born just a few weeks early are at risk of severe health problems and lifelong disabilities, taking an extreme toll on families emotionally and financially. How we are making an Impact: March of Dimes Michigan has heavily invested in group prenatal care with our partners across the state. This innovative approach to prenatal care has produced significant improvement in not only babies being born at term, but also Mom and baby thrive in bonding, increased breastfeeding, and healthy weight gain and brain development. March of Dimes is strategically fund programs that promote health equity among different racial/ethnic groups. African American babies are two times more likely to be born premature more than their Caucasian counterparts. Michigan funds programs that address social determinates of health to increase the rate of African American babies born full term. Leading preventable causes of premature birth in Michigan include; tobacco use during pregnancy, lack of health education and good health status prior to pregnancy as well as lack of access to proven interventions for women with prior preterm birth such as progesterone (17P) shots. Michigan Investment Goals: 1. Increase access to pre- and interconception (in-between births) education for high-risk women 2. Decrease late preterm birth by reducing early elective deliveries before 39 weeks 3. Reduce racial/ethnic disparities in premature birth outcomes In 2016, the March of Dimes granted $1.3 million for programs, research and services in Michigan. The funds provide prenatal education for doctors and nurses at community hospitals, as well as the award-winning March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. In an Average Week in Michigan: 2,182 babies are born 151 babies are born to teen mothers (ages 15-19) 711 babies are delivered by cesarean section 254 babies are born preterm 179 babies are born low birthweight 16 babies die before their first birthday
View our updated event acknowledgements and waivers here.
