March of Dimes kicks off their major fundraising walk in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On Thursday, the March of Dimes held their March for Babies kickoff in San Francisco. The goal is to help give "a fighting chance" to every baby.

ABC7 News Anchor Natasha Zouves was invited to emcee the event. It's the first step in organizing teams for the annual walk.

Last year, March for Babies raised nearly $90 million in 500 communities across the country, including five locations in the Greater Bay Area: San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Fairfield and Pleasanton.

Preterm birth is the number one cause of death for babies, and one in 10 babies is born too soon. The walk aims to help women have healthy pregnancies, support families in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and fund research to fight birth defects and premature birth.

At the emotional event, women shared their stories about experiencing preterm birth, and in some cases, going through the heartbreak of losing a child.

"This is our opportunity to stand with these families and so many others, to make a difference and help more families experience the joy so many take for granted- of having a healthy, full-term baby," said Zouves. "The journey to help starts today."

The walks are held in April and May in the Bay Area. You can find a location near you here.