The March of Dimes annual fundraising campaign has officially begun.

The 2010 Union County March for Babies Kick-Off was held Tuesday at USC-Union. The annual March for Babies will take place Oct. 16 at Foster Park and “Fight for Babies” is this year’s theme.

March of Dimes Community Director Lyn Garver coordinated the kick-off and discussed fundraising ideas and guidelines with those in attendance at the Tuesday afternoon meeting as well as sharing her personal testimony.

Garver’s 4-and-a-half-year-old daughter Ella was born prematurely. Ella’s lungs collapsed upon delivery and she was placed in a neonatal intensive care unit. Ella had to be treated with injections of an amino acid based medicine — developed from March of Dimes research — to help her lungs develop. Garver also said an average of 184 babies are born prematurely each week in South Carolina.

Through the Union County March for Babies campaign, monies are raised for local programs, research and education aimed at giving every baby in Union County a healthy start. March of Dimes has made efforts in preconception health, the prevention of teen pregnancy, grant donations to the Department of Health’s Safe Sleep Education Program and funding for the Union community’s Family Connection programs.

Garver also introduced Dr. Robert Lutz as this year’s Union County March for Babies Chair.

“We need to get the word out about how much March of Dimes does,” Lutz said. “We should educate and raise money at the same time.”

Lutz added people rarely see the need for something like the March of Dimes until there is a problem and this fundraiser should be a wake up call for people to realize individual blessings.

The fundraising goal for Union County this year is $22,000. In 2009, the team raising the most money was Milliken Cedar Hill with $5,625. Not far behind were Wallace Thomson Hospital, Foster Park Elementary School and Saint Lukes Baptist Church at second, third and fourth places, respectively.

Team captain meetings are scheduled for Aug. 31 and Sept. 7 at USC-Union. A team captain rally — also at USC-Union — is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Anyone interested in participating in the March for Babies on any level or would like more information should contact Lyn Garver at (864) 235-8576 or via email at lgarver@marchofdimes.com.