How encouraging to see a non-profit group and a business teaming up to help prevent birth defects.

Ewe-R-Wooly Sheepkeepers have created a soy candle specifically for the local March of Dimes WalkAmerica event, which annually raises money for research and programs to help prevent or treat premature births and other threats to babies’ health.

If one asked a roomful of people if they or someone they know was born premature, every hand would go up &045; premature births &045; which can have life-long health risks &045; happens so often people don’t even think about it, according to Angie Hanna, Walk chairwoman.

The candles are the March of Dime’s signature colors of blue and white, and come in the Ewe-R-Wooly’s most popular fragnances &045; warm vanilla sugar, Dutch apple pie and rain. They are available at the Albert Lea Medical Center, and hopefully other businesses soon.

At $5, the candles are a bargain, and will go a long way to help March of Dimes programs.

Obviously, the public likes the fund raiser as well &045; the first order of 300 candles sold out almost immediately and Ewe-R-Wooly has been busy making more.

Anyone interested in helping with the walk, or who wants to participate in WalkAmerican may contact Hanna at 377-6039.

We’d to see Hanna’s phone ring off the hook for candle orders and people signing up to help in some way to make this walk the most successful yet.