ENCINITAS, CA – Tri-City’s walkers began to gather under gray skies in Encinitas early Saturday morning for the March of Dimes March for Babies. By the time the walk kicked off at 9 am, however, the sun peeked out, as if the force of 300 enthusiastic and energetic employees and their families had burned away the clouds.
Clad in their team shirts, TCMC led the pack of walkers on the 3 mile course that began and ended at Moonlight Beach. The sea of blue completely outnumbered the other organizations and individuals, a visible sign of Tri-City’s support for the fundraiser to help prevent premature births.
CEO Larry B. Anderson expressed his pride and appreciation as the group prepared to take to the streets, saying, “I initially committed to Tri-City raising $15,000. Knowing what a good cause it was I later increased that promise to $25,000. Then, at the kickoff luncheon for corporate sponsors I got a little crazy with enthusiasm and upped it to $35,000. As always, the employees of Tri-City have come through and made good on that commitment. This morning, our employees have turned in over $37,000 in donations! I thank all of you for your dedication to healthy babies.”
Amid cheers from the crowd, Anderson took up the banner pictured above and headed out. Joining him were Larry Schallock, TCHD Board of Directors; Sharon Schultz, Chief Nursing Executive; Dr. Hamid Movahhedian, NICU Medical Director; Mary Diamond, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services; and Nancy Myers, NICU Clinical Manager. They were followed by representatives of the 27 hospital teams and their friends and families. A few dogs even came along as mascots, wearing blue bandannas decorated with tiny baby footprints.
“What a great way to show the community who Tri-City is and what a strong team we are!” observed Lynda Luce, Public Affairs and Marketing Manager, who coordinated TCMC’s participation.
