Mercy Girl is March of Dimes Top Youth Walker

Emily Dzialo, a senior at , was honored with the 2011 Trevor Palonen Top Youth Walker Award by the March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Spirit of Giving Celebration at the New Haven Lawn Club on Jan. 28. The evening celebrated the Chapter’s volunteers, donors and sponsors, and honored 10 individuals as 2011 Volunteers of Excellence.

Since a young age, the Dzialo family has made supporting the March of Dimes and its annual event, March for Babies, a family tradition, as Emily’s father Edward is a founding member of the Middletown March for Babies event. In 2011, Emily raised nearly $12,000, making her the top youth fundraiser in the state (ages 18 and younger), and was ranked #4 in the nation among youth. 

Since 2005, she has raised over $41,500 in support of the March of Dimes mission of stronger, healthier babies.

“I am deeply honored to have received this award. I believe that every baby deserves a healthy start and the March of Dimes has historically endeavored to achieve this. I am so proud to be apart of their mission,” said Emily.

“Emily is not only an outstanding fundraiser, but a wonderful youth advocate for our organization,” said Michael Botelho, chair of the March of Dimes Connecticut Chapter board of directors. “We thank her and the entire Dzialo family for their dedication to the March of Dimes.”

The Top Youth Walker Award was established in 2006 after a special young man in Plainfield, Trevor Palonen. For 12 years, Trevor, with his family by his side, participated in March for Babies, then WalkAmerica, and since 1995 had been the top youth walker in the state. Trevor passed away at age 16 in May 2006. 

The volunteer celebration was held in honor of March of Dimes founder President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, whose birthday was Jan. 30. 

“March of Dimes was founded on the principal that by all Americans joining together to raise money and awareness for a cause, the seemingly impossible – curing the dreaded disease of polio – became possible,” said Botelho.  “Today, volunteers in Connecticut and around the nation are just as passionate – passionate about the health of our babies, and how working together we will see the day when all babies have a healthy start.”