Kelly Clarkson
March of Dimes Team Youth Celebrity Ambassador

Sep 3 | archive | subscribe

In 2006, March of Dimes launched a new web site just for youth and their advisors with Clarkson as the program's first celebrity ambassador.

The youth site offers students from elementary school through college a chance to get involved with the March of Dimes and make a difference in the lives of babies nationwide. Since that time, with her support and encouragement, youth volunteers have raised nearly $8 million for the March of Dimes.

Clarkson invites youth to visit the site and join in the campaign to help babies. She says premature birth is the #1 killer of newborns. “I’m speaking out for the babies who can’t speak for themselves: the nearly half a million who are born too soon every year in the U.S. And we need to do something about it.”

Examples of activities by March of Dimes youth volunteers include: educating their peers about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and raising funds for research.

“Youth volunteers helped the March of Dimes beat polio, an epidemic disease that used to kill or paralyze thousands of children every year,” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.

Clarkson hopes to educate young people on the importance of prenatal health care and keeping babies healthy and strong. She tells Weekly Phil that she continues to spread the word in various ways. “I have information on my Web site and I talk about it during interviews. And you’ll join me in the fight against premature birth, right? I can count on you, right?” marchofdimes.com/youth