Saturday, November 16, 2024
6 p.m.
1 N. 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Winter Garden at Comcast Center
EVENT DETAILS
March of Dimes Signature Chefs Feeding Motherhood adds a little flavor to fundraising by bringing guests together alongside Greater Philadelphia's most talented chefs to support the health of moms and babies. Today the U.S. remains among the most dangerous nations for childbirth, especially for families of color. With your help, March of Dimes is ensuring all pregnant moms have access to care, addressing inequity in maternal health, and strengthening families across America.
EVENT LEADERSHIP
EVENT CHAIR
Salvatore J. Patti
Division Director, Commercial Banking
WSFS Bank
2024 Lifetime Achievement Honoree
Sharon Mills Higgins is the recipient of the 2024 March of Dimes Greater Philadelphia Lifetime Achievement Award. Sharon is Chair of March of Dimes National Board of Trustees. Sharon's dedication to the March of Dimes started 20 years ago after her daughter was born with severe birth defects. A seasoned sales and marketing executive, her passionate advocacy for beneficial policies, programming, research, and fundraising has greatly contributed to the organization's progress and its positive influence on the communities it aids. She chaired the Campaign to End Preterm Birth from 2016-2018, raising funds to support the Prematurity Research Network, a collaborative of the March of Dimes, and multiple leading research institutions in the United States and the United Kingdom. As Chair, her pivotal role in Board restructuring, CEO succession, donor relations, and capital campaign planning has been invaluable.
2024 Exellence in Healthcare Honoree
Stephen P. Fera, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs & Government Markets at Independence Blue Cross, will receive March of Dimes 2024 Healthcare in Excellence Award. Mr. Fera was chosen as the recipient of this honor due to his leadership and commitment to addressing health equity, serving the most disadvantaged populations across our region. This honor is richly deserved and we are privileged to be able to highlight the positive influence of Mr. Fera throughout Greater Philadelphia.
Meet our 2024 Ambassador Family
Kim Wright spent time in the NICU at birth for the same reason that her sons did, pre-eclampsia. Kim experienced elevated blood pressure during her first pregnancy with her son Aidan, which led to a month of bedrest before delivering at 35 weeks. Her next 2 pregnancies followed suit, delivering twins Brady and Jack at 32 weeks and then Charlie at 34 weeks. All 4 boys experienced jaundice at birth, and Brady, Jack and Charlie had trouble breathing and eating which led to a stay in the NICU. The Wright boys are healthy today, with no lasting effects of being born premature.
Kim, and her husband Will, did not know about March of Dimes until her sons were NICU graduates, but she hopes that their participation as the Signature Chefs Ambassador Family will be helpful to families needing resources and support in a similar situation.
View our updated event acknowledgements and waivers here.