March of Dimes Golf Classic Helps Raise Money for Infant Mortality Prevention

Aug. 14, 2023 ~ Over 100 people gathered Monday at Michigan’s Indianwood Golf and Country Club to help the lives of infants and mothers alike.

The golf course was home for the 42nd annual March of Dimes Golf Classic, aiming to help reduce premature births, birth defects, infant mortality, and deaths of women during pregnancies. In total, about $100,000 was raised out of the event’s $180,000 by Monday afternoon, said March of Dimes Executive Director of Market Development Stefanie Worth.

March of Dimes is an organization that aims to expand research, prevention, and education related to health complications with pregnancies and births. According to the group’s website, two people die every day in the U.S. from pregnancy-related causes, along with two newborns every two hours.

The issue is especially dire for Black women, who are over 50% more likely to give birth prematurely or have infant mortality. In March of Dimes’ recent report card, it gave Michigan a D+ with preterm births, with the number of them spiking in the past couple of years.

Guy Gordon, host of 760 WJR’s “JR Morning,” was present at the event, acting as both the Honorary Celebrity Chairperson and committee member for the event. Worth was a guest on Monday’s show, and said the group helps women gain access to healthcare maternity.

“Families can receive direct care from March of Dimes, in terms of access to resources, connecting to other families, and finding out how to get through what they are going through at the moment,” Worth said.