TOMS RIVER &mdash In the first summery weekend of the season, thousands of New Jersey residents headed outside to enjoy the warm weather.
But instead of putting on their bathing suits, approximately 4,000 of them donned comfortable shoes and set out in Belmar and Toms River to raise money for the March of Dimes in the annual March for Babies. Nearly a thousand people trudged around a five-mile loop of the Ocean County College campus during in the morning heat Sunday for the March of Dimes. The Ocean County segment of the march, which benefits the parents and children who were born premature or have other infant diseases, was on track to reach its goal of $260,000, March of Dimes coordinator Jennifer Lebruzzo said. “I don’t have money to donate, but I can spend my time,” Martha White said. “I also want my son to grow up knowing the value of charity.” White, 39, of Toms River, marched with her son James and about 20 other Ocean County Kohl’s department store employees who walked as a team. Melody and Marc Kemprowski Sr. of Jackson were marching with their twin son and daughter, Marc and Melody, 16 months, who were born 14 weeks early. “They didn’t expect my babies to make it,” Melody Kemprowski said.
“Hopefully, one day, there will be no more premature babies,” Marc Kemprowski Sr. said, “so no one has to go through what we’ve been through.”