Evening gowns and swimsuits will soon be replacing my March of Dimes wardrobe of WalkAmerica T-shirts and jeans. After winning the title of Miss Easley during a local South Carolina competition in January, I will be competing in the Miss South Carolina pageant this summer. My platform? March of Dimes: Saving Babies, Together. My goal? Capturing the crown and gaining a statewide forum to spread the important messages of the March of Dimes.

After seven years of March of Dimes volunteer involvement, I wanted to take my personal commitment to a different level, so I entered my first pageant. After a few tries, I won the title of Miss Easley. I now spend part of my time speaking to businesses, professional organizations, college students, and school-age children about the important messages of the March of Dimes and about the overall importance of volunteering and being a hero in someone else's life. All the while I am also preparing myself for the Miss South Carolina Pageant. In the past three months, I've learned more about fashion, hair, and makeup than I'd previously learned in 22 years of living!

An evening gown and a red velvet swimsuit will draw attention toward me, but my goal is to turn that attention back toward the victims of prematurity who aren't able to speak up for themselves. Like every March of Dimes volunteer, my mission is to realize the day when every baby is born healthy. I'm excited to be pursuing this new avenue of volunteering for the March of Dimes.

Whether it be the implementation of youth programs, efforts to combat prematurity, or mounting a nationwide attack on polio, the March of Dimes boasts a rich and vibrant history.

The March of Dimes was formed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to put an end to polio. Americans were asked to send their dimes to the White House and join the fight. Although President Roosevelt did not live to see the day, polio was defeated on April 12, 1955 when the Salk vaccine was "safe, effective, and potent".

Last month, the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of that momentous occasion. The Smithsonian's Museum of American History will continue to mark the occasion with a new exhibit entitled "Whatever Happened to Polio?", which opened on April 12, 2005. To learn more, go to http://americanhistory.si.edu/polio.

Just as polio was defeated, so, too, will we see the day when prematurity is a thing of the past. And we will see that day, with your help. Volunteers like you are the lifeblood of this organization. You bring hope to parents and families when hope has grown dim.

	Keep Up The Good Work, Team Youth!

These automated March of Dimes "volunteers" are positioned at the entrance of most supermarkets in America, accepting donations 24 hours/day, 365 days/year, and they're bilingual!

There is an estimated $10.5 billion in coins sitting in people's homes. The value of a coin stash is between $30 and $50, on average. If half of the nearly 160 million Americans living within two miles of a Coinstar machine donated a handful of change, $80 million would be raised for the March of Dimes!

How it Works:

• Take your loose change to the Coinstar machine. (Check www.coinstar.com to find the machine nearest you with the March of Dimes donation option)
• Follow the on-screen prompts through the "Donate" path. You will be prompted to enter a 4-digit identification number for March of Dimes: 1230
• Pour your loose change into the machine and watch how quickly it adds up!
• After the transaction, you will receive a receipt for your donation.

Please note that Coinstar charges a modest 7.5% fee for processing the coins.

So get out there and start turning your coins into dollars for the March of Dimes!

Wristbands4Awareness

Wristbands4Awareness are now available. Buy these packs of pink and blue "SAVING BABIES" tye-dye wrist bands and give them to your family and friends to show support of the March of Dimes mission. Place your order today! Youth sizes are available!

KnowledgeWorks is looking for excellent schools across the country that successfully follow the growing trend to build schools as centers of community. The "Richard W. Riley Award for Excellence" includes a $5,000 grant and will be given to the top-selected school chosen by a panel of national experts. The panel will also select schools with innovative design elements for membership in the "Schools as Centers of Community Honor Society." Deadline for submissions is June 24. More info.

If you have discovered a new passion in life through an after-school program, the "Something Way Better to Do: Finding Inspiration Afterschool" essay contest is looking for your story. Sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance and the Advertising Council, the contest is open to 5th through 12th graders.
Click here for official rules and entry forms. Deadline for submissions is June 30.