March of Dimes WalkAmerica 2007

Again for 2007 UAW Local 2209 and FWA are working together to raise funds for the March of Dimes WalkAmerica. With financial contributions raised at the plant our donations are used to assist health care professionals to better detect woman at risk for premature birth. Premature birth is the #1 cause of newborn death. Just a $100.00 donation could help 10 families with babies in neonatal intensive care learn how to care for their baby when he/she comes home.

WalkAmerica 2007 is scheduled for Saturday April 28 in Fort Wayne and Huntington Indiana. In the same weekend WalkAmerica will be on Sunday April 29th in Angola and Decatur Indiana respectively. In an effort to raise funds here at the plant UAW Local 2209 and GM FWA support the selling of tickets for a chance to win one of two Peg Perego (made in Fort Wayne) children’s four wheelers. Tickets will be sold between shifts through out the week starting in April and the drawing for the winners will be held Friday April 27th in the GA Atrium.

May 3rd 2007, This is our 7th year working in support of the March of Dimes WalkAmerica fundraising program. Over the weekend of April 28 and 29 walks were held in multiple north east Indiana locations. FWA sold tickets and raffled off 2 Peg Perego children’s 4 wheelers, and did a gate collection in the plant on Friday April 27th. The winners of the 4 wheelers were Material departments David Mueller, and Trim departments Janice Retz. Our sponsorship monies donated by UAW Local 2209 and GM FWA earlier this year, combined with our raffle and gate collection made a big impact on the 2007 WalkAmerica.

UAW Local 2209 was the shirt sponsor and donated $3,500 for this year’s campaign. GM FWA donated $1,000 and with other fund raisers we donated over $8,500.00 to the March of Dimes and included several walkers in the 5 mile Fort Wayne walk. At 6:00am in the morning on April 28th our volunteers arrived at Headwaters Park in Fort Wayne and set in motion the set up for the walk to kick off at 9:00am. We had volunteers out posting signs and setting up stations along the walk route and then had our volunteers help sign participants up and hand out shirts that morning.

We had volunteers from the UAW 2209 Community Services Committee & Plant Medical helping in the set up on the morning of the FW walk. We had Kathy Jordan sing the National Anthem and Mike McClain led the pre-walk warm-ups. We say thank you to all who donated and helped again this year.