Bowling event raises $9,500

The March of Dimes is looking for help making the 2014 Austin/Albert Lea March for Babies a success.

The annual March for Babies will start at the Holiday Inn in Austin on April 12 this year, but organizers are already looking for volunteers to lead teams.

Last year, more than 350 people attended the event, which raised more than $47,000. For more details on how to help raise funds by walking in the March for Babies check out www.marchforbabies.org.

Other residents have already started to raise money for the annual fundraiser. The annual Bowling for Babies event brought in about $9,500, according to volunteer Tom Gillard, and Farmers Insurance may match those local funds.

For Mark and Mikayla Austin, this year’s ambassador family, the cause is personal. The two carry their memories close of holding their prematurely born twin babies, Noah and Isabelle, shortly after they were born in December 2009. They weren’t expecting the babies until May.

Noah, born weighing just 13 ounces and Isabelle 15 ounces, didn’t make it home.

“We were devastated when we found out I was in labor and the babies would not make it,” Mikayla said.

Mark and Mikayla said they support the March of Dimes to help other families that have suffered a similar loss and in order to help with their own healing process by becoming involved with other families that can relate to their experience.