Every four and a half minutes a baby is born with a birth defect and every cent donated to the March for Dimes organization helps prevent babies from being born prematurely today and for the future.

The March of Dimes is an organization which supports and funds research aimed at preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Senior nutrition major and President of the March for Babies Club, Valerie Turner, started the club in the fall 2013 semester to promote and raise awareness of premature births and infantile issues on campus.

“I have a passion towards helping babies,” Turner said. “I have hopes to go further and study maternal and child nutrition in the future for my graduate studies because of the March for Babies cause.”

The club began fundraising money in late March and has raised nearly $1,000, which was their targeted goal for the March for Babies walk that will be held April 26 at the State Capitol.

For every dollar raised, 76 cents goes directly to research and programs that help babies.

Research includes developing eye treatments to cure vision defects in newborns and working to prevent an oral cleft in babies due to a responsible gene identified to cause the defect.

Secretary for the March for Babies Club Salleigh Knox said she expects the club to surpass their targeted goal.

“We have many fundraising events going on to help get the campus involved in the walk,” Knox said. “We’re selling bracelets out in the quad every week for a dollar and collecting donations [and] the March for Babies Club is hosting their first annual dinner fundraiser April 25.”

Union Well Inc. is hosting a photo booth event at the Union every Thursday in April to also raise money and awareness for the March for Babies cause.

“Our biggest goal is to encourage participation from the Sac State community,” Harris said. “All proceeds go towards support for families who have had infants with prematurity issues.”

Treasurer for the March for Babies Club Ilena Montanez said she hopes the research funded through donations lower the prematurity rate of babies.

“The highest risk of infant mortality is low birth weight and prematurity,” Montanez said. “We want to give every baby a possibility for a healthy start.”

Nutrition major Elizabeth Dillman was born prematurely and hopes  awareness for infant mortality issues increases.

“Everyone needs to be aware of the risks involved with premature births,” Dillman said. “I was four pounds when I was born along with my twin sister at birth. Right when we were born, we were put into incubators to help us.”