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We spent all week traveling all over New Jersey. Monday we were in North Jersey and went to Kearny Federal Savings. I signed a big sneaker that is signed by the national ambassador every year. We also went to BAE Systems and KPMG and Kmart. BAE Systems makes important things for military planes. Everyone was so nice. They let me sit in the board room and I delegated jobs to my new friends. KPMG had an ice cream social for me. I had a mixture of vanilla, chocolate and mint chip. At Kmart, my video, SunRising, was being shown on all of the TVs in the electronics department. There were 24 of me.
We visited FedEx at Newark Airport and went into a FedEx plane. I sat in the Captain’s seat. I want to be a FedEx pilot and Continental pilot when I grow up. Tuesday evening, we attended the New Jersey Volunteer Leadership Conference. Many wonderful volunteers were honored for the many good things they have done for the March of Dimes.
Wednesday we visited South Amboy High School. I met Peter, who weighed 1 pound 10 ounces and was 12 inches long when he was born. Now he’s 13, and is on the honor roll. Peter gave me a beautiful necklace with the Statue of Liberty on it. My mom and I spoke at the high school’s March for Babies kickoff. I was nervous at first because of all of the students cheering, but then I had fun, and gave a lot of hugs and high fives. Later, we went to the Johnson & Johnson Lunch and Learn.
On Thursday, I had to get up really early for an interview on Fox 29. In the green room, I met a group of Coast Guards who just saved two men who were stuck on top of a pole, 100ft off the ground. I gave them high fives.
Then we went to South Jersey Industries for lunch and Glassboro High School for an assembly
This week in New Jersey, I spread the message that Walk America is now March for Babies, and that we are walking for ALL babies.
We spent all last week in Ohio. Scott, the executive director of Northeast Ohio was so nice and funny, and drove us to all of our appointments all week long. Ohio was great, especially since my dad and brother were with us for a few days. On Tuesday, we went to the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball game. I was a ball girl. I was on center court when Lebron James came out and handed me his basketball. He was so tall! Fire was shot out of the scoreboard in the beginning. I didn’t like that too much, but the game was so much fun!
On Wednesday we drove to Akron to tour the Harry London Chocolate Factory. We had to wear hairnets and jackets. My brother Michael and I put chocolate on a conveyor belt and then boxed up freshly made chocolates. They taste the best right when they are made.
After the chocolate factory we went to the Food Bank for a press conference with the Mayor of Akron, Don Plusquellic. He was so nice and friendly and showed me pictures of his beautiful children and grandchildren. Then we went to tour Akron Children’s Hospital NICU. I was nervous at first because I had never been there before, but one of the wonderful nurses, Amy, held my hand and made me feel better. We saw a baby that was as small as I was when I was born.
On Thursday, I met AJ, the ambassador in Youngstown, OH, at the Children’s Museum. He gave me a really pretty necklace. Then we went to a press conference and I met a lot of people who suppor the March of Dimes, including Denise DeBartolo. She gave me a toy dog house with a lot of stuffed puppies. I loved it and played with it that entire night.
We also went to see our friends at Kmart, Liberty Tax, FedEx and Famous Footwear. Everyone we met is a champion for all babies.
This week I got to visit Madison and Milwuakee, Wisconsin. We went directly from the airport in Madison to Ella’s Deli. There were so many fun things to look at and play with. I got to explore all of the neat toys at the restaurant with my new friend Hannah, whose mom works at Famous Footwear. My mom and I had frozen custard for the first time. It was so good. I also tasted fried cheese curds and loved them.
At the Madison March for Babies Kickoff I got to meet Bucky the Badger. He was very silly. We spent the day with Famous Footwear. I really liked the president, Joe Wood. We went shoe shopping too. My mom, brother and dad all got shoes from Famous Footwear.
My mom’s birthday was on Tuesday so we celebrated at a japanese restaurant. They cooked the food right in front of us. The chef did neat tricks. I was scared at first, but then it was really fun. We had a cake and sang happy birthday to my mom.
In Milwaukee, I got to visit a Kindercare daycare and hand out rubber duckies to all of the babies that were there. We presented Kindercare with a plaque for the money they raised for the March of Dimes. We also gave a plaque to a TCF Bank branch in Milwaukee for the money they raised to help babies.
I got to explore the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum with my new friend Anthony, a former Milwuakee Ambassador. We had so much fun.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was in Philadelphia, PA. The first thing I did was run up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art just like Rocky. I even stood in his footprints. On Tuesday, my mom and I were interviewed on the NBC 10 Show. I actually did most of the talking. After I was interviewed, penguins and a red-tailed hawk were interviewed. They were so cool! I pet one of the penguins. I never did that before.
While in Philadelphia, we met with a lot of people who are working hard to raise money for the March of Dimes. We went to a local KMART and Famous Footwear. I got to pick out a pair of shoes. I chose pink sparkly ones. We also went to FedEx, Health Partners, and Toll Brothers. Everyone I met was so friendly, and are all champions for babies.
We went to dinner at The Continental. The Sous Chef Bruce, brought us so much really good food. There was lobster in my macaroni and cheese. I really liked it.
On Wednesday, we went to the Philladelphia March for Babies Kickoff Breakfast, hosted by Tracy Davidson of NBC 10. Everyone is really excited for the big walks on April 26 and 27.
My mom and I got to share our story on Clear Channel Philadelphia and WBEN-FM. I got to play with a puppy named Rocky. He had a lot of energy.
Thank you to all of my new friends in Philly!
Today I visited the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. It is a really pretty building. We met with a lot of legislators to ask them to pass bill 883 mandating that every newborn get screening for the 29 metobolic disorders that are treatable if caught early.
Today was really fun becuase my brother Michael got to miss school and come with me and my mom and dad, to help raise awareness of this issue.
We learned all about the history of the Capitol building from the Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. I liked her a lot because we have the same name and she was nice. We also met with Senators Patricia Vance, Jane Orie, Joseph Scarnati, Edwin Erickson, Patrick Browne, and Rob Wonderling.
Senator Orie gave me a beautiful red heart bracelet. It is very, very speacial. My family was acknowledged from House floor and the Senate Gallery. My friends from the March of Dimes Pennsylvania chapters were also acknowledged. I received signed citations from the House and the Senate, and a proclamation from the Lt. Governor Knoll.
I was in Atlanta, Georgia, last Thursday and Friday. My new friend Kendall from the Atlanta chapter drove us all around in her really neat electric car. I went to the Downtown Atlanta March for Babies kickoff and the Perimeter kickoff. I got to pick names out of a bucket for a raffle at both. It was really fun. They also had yummy chocolate cake.
We had a fun behind the scenes tour at the Georgia Aquarium. Kim, our tour guide knew everything about the aquarium. I saw penguins, sting rays, and many other colorful fish like Nemo. My favorite fish was the beluga whale. My mom got me a baby beluga to take home.
After the aquarium, we visited the World of Coke, where I got to taste soda from around the world. On Friday, we visited Imagine It!; the Children’s Museum where I got to paint, and play other games.
The most important thing we did was visit the Capitol to try to get Georgia lawmakers to require every baby get a hearing test when they are born. We met with the Governor, Sonny Purdue; Lieutenant Governor, Casey Cagle; and Speaker of the House, Glenn Richardson.
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