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More than 21,000 U.S. Knitters and Crocheters Honored For Efforts to Help Save Newborn Lives
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Save the Children President & CEO, Charles MacCormack addresses the crowd. |
Washington, DC (February 1, 2007) — After a busy day on Capitol Hill voicing concern about mothers and newborn babies in the poorest countries of the world, knitters and crocheters from across the country, including Connecticut, gathered at the Textile Museum in Washington DC on Wednesday (January 31) to honor more than 21,000 Americans who have created nearly 300,000 baby caps to help save the lives of newborns in developing countries.
ABC Senior News Analyst and Save the Children Trustee Cokie Roberts served as emcee for the event, sponsored by Save the Children and the Warm Up America! Foundation.
Surrounded by baskets of caps from every state, knitters and crocheters read excerpts from early 12,000 personal notes asking America's leaders to support additional funding for child survival programs in poor developing countries.
Prior to attending the event, the knitters and crocheters met with their Members of Congress to brief them on how simple, low-cost solutions, like a cap, can help save newborn lives. Worldwide, 4 million infants die each year before they reach a month old, including 2 million during the first 24 hours of life, nearly all in poor developing countries.
"It was an honor to meet many of the knitters and crocheters who raised their needles, and their voices to help save young lives," said Save the Children President and CEO Charles MacCormack. "All walks of life — from grandmothers to children — let their U.S. leadership know that with increased funding, newborn deaths could be reduced by 70 percent."
MacCormack noted that U.S. leadership has made an enormous contribution in saving children's lives over the past two decades, but funding has stagnated for child survival programs despite their proven effectiveness.
Save the Children is calling on America's policy makers to nearly double spending for child survival programs to $660 million. Providing support for the health of mothers and their children is the best investment of U.S. foreign assistance dollars.
Save the Children plans to deliver the caps to mothers and babies in Malawi and Bangladesh.
