March of Dimes, the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health, is pleased to announce the 2012 honorees for their 7th annual March of Dimes Celebration of Babies, a Hollywood luncheon, taking place December 7 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Celebration of Babies is chaired by Joi & Jimmy Horowitz and Paula Kaplan & Billy Goldberg.
March of Dimes Celebration of Babies will bring together and recognize celebrities and prominent individuals in the entertainment community who are pregnant or celebrating the recent birth of a child, and who are role models for the March of Dimes mission to improve the health of babies by helping moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies.
Actor and producer Reese Witherspoon will receive the 2012 March of Dimes Grace Kelly Award, which recognizes role-model celebrity parents who share the March of Dimes commitment to healthy pregnancies and families.
“I am so thrilled to be honored by March of Dimes this year,” said Witherspoon. “This organization is doing incredible work to address the very serious problem of preterm birth in this country. I was very lucky to have a healthy delivery and leave the hospital with a healthy full term infant, but so many families in this country do not get that experience. I hope my involvement can raise awareness about this issue and the great work that March of Dimes is doing.”
Cyma Zarghami, President of Nickelodeon Group, will be honored by March of Dimes as the Inspiring Woman of the Year for her accomplishments as a leader in the entertainment industry and as a dedicated mother to her three sons, Liam, Wyatt and Ethan.
“I have three healthy beautiful sons, each of whom benefitted from the very best pre and post natal care,” said Zarghami. “The mission of the March of Dimes is hugely important and very personal to me. This honor gives me the opportunity to contribute to their efforts to reduce the rising number of premature births in the U.S. and around the world.”
Medical doctor Bryan Oshiro will receive the 2012 Elaine Whitelaw Volunteer Service Award. Oshiro is Vice-Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Medical Director of the Perinatal Institute at the Loma Linda University Medical Center. Oshiro’s work with March of Dimes has resulted in groundbreaking health guidelines for hospitals and obstetricians.
President of Universal Pictures and Celebration of Babies event chair Jimmy Horowitz said: “This year’s honorees have long-been recognized for their talent and leadership in the entertainment business, but today we honor them for their dedication to family and community. Hollywood has a long history with the March of Dimes and the entertainment industry is pleased, once again, to support its efforts to give every baby a healthy start.”
March of Dimes will continue their recognition of expecting and new parents by honoring the 2012 Celebration of Babies Stork Club. Stork Club members are entertainment industry leaders who are expecting a baby, or have had baby this past year. Members include Amanda Anka and Jason Bateman, Drew Barrymore and Will Koppelman, Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green and others.
Entertainer Nick Cannon will serve as master of ceremonies for the exclusive luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Event co-chairs include Susan and Robert Downey Jr. and Witherspoon’s husband Jim Toth. Host committee members include Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman, Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon, Busy Philipps & Marc Silverstein, Brooke Shields & Chris Henchy, Molly Sims & Scot Stuber, among others.
March of Dimes has long-standing ties to the Hollywood community. Since its founding in 1938, supporters over the years have included Eddie Cantor, Grace Kelly, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bill Cosby, to name a few.
In 2011 Celebration of Babies raised more than $900,000 for March of Dimes.
The 7th Annual Celebration of Babies is presented by Nickelodeon/Viacom Media Networks and Cheryl and Haim Saban.
About Nickelodeon/Viacom Media Networks
Nickelodeon, now in its 33rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 17 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).