More than 7,600 babies in Minnesota will be born premature this year, and local business leader Martha Vrieze-Morrison and the Piepho family are working with the March of Dimes to change this.

Martha Vrieze-Morrison, financial associate at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, knows how important the March of Dimes mission is. She has taken on the role of revenue chairwoman of the Austin/Albert Lea March for Babies to raise awareness and important funding to provide for babies who are born premature or with birth defects.

March for Babies, the March of Dimes’ largest fundraiser, helps fund lifesaving research and educational programs aimed at helping moms have healthy babies. Last year, the Austin/Albert Lea event raised more than $40,500. This year, Vrieze-Morrison hopes to bring in even more by focusing on new revenue and helping to raise awareness in the area.

“As a business leader, this campaign gives me a unique opportunity to help the community that I love. I can’t think of a more important cause than our babies,” she said. “One in 10 of our babies here in Minnesota are born premature, and that’s just not acceptable. It takes leaders in our community working together to ensure moms have healthy pregnancies.”

Charlie and Chantell Piepho are serving as ambassadors for the Austin/Albert Lea March for Babies. Their son, Daniel, died in 2003 when he was born more than 16 weeks premature.

“We were told almost immediately that Daniel was too young to survive. His lungs were not mature enough,” said Chantell Piepho. “There is unbelievable grief to have your child pass away.”

Today the Piephos are the proud parents of Caleb, 6, and Brianna, 1.

“Because of the March of Dimes, my two other children were carried to almost full term,” she said. “In one way or another, every child has benefited from the work by the March of Dimes. We are very happy to be the ambassador family.”

People can sign up today at www.marchforbabies.org and start a team with co-workers, family or friends. People can also learn more about the event at the kickoff Feb. 18 at Riverside Arena prior to the Bruins hockey game.