This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Local Businessman Leads March of Dimes Effort to Improve Health of Morris County Babies

More than 12,000 of New Jersey babies will be born premature this year, and business leader Earl Pedersen is working with the March of Dimes to change this.

Earl Pedersen, Financial Advisor at Langdon Ford Financial in Parsippany, knows how important the March of Dimes mission is. As a father, he has taken on the role of Morris County March for Babies Chair to raise awareness and important funding to provide for babies who are born premature or with birth defects. Pedersen has made the commitment to raise $49,000 as part of the overall goal of $245,000 in Morris County.

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 in Morris County more than $250,000 was raised.  This year, March for Babies Chair Earl Pedersen will focus on recruiting new companies to participate and lead the community in making a difference for the health of moms and babies.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“As a business leader, this campaign gives me and my company a unique opportunity to help the community that I love. And as a father, I can’t think of a more important cause than our babies,” said Pedersen, who will be asking other local businesses for their support in the coming months. “One in 9 of our babies here in New Jersey is born premature, and that’s just not acceptable.  It takes leaders in our community working together to ensure more moms have healthy pregnancies.  More than 20,000 companies are partnering in March for Babies to help reduce the premature birth rate and improve the health of babies.”

Morris County residents can sign up today at www.marchforbabies.org and start a team with co-workers, family or friends. Last year, more than 900 people attended the event -- which will be held this year on April 27th at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We’re so excited to have Earl Pedersen on board to help us at a local level,” said Addy Bonet, State Director for the New Jersey March of Dimes Chapter. “His passion for the cause and commitment to helping our babies will be a huge driving factor in the success of our event. We are grateful for his commitment.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?