National Preemie Power Photo & Essay Contest and Family Celebration

2012 Preemie Power - Heroes Come in All Sizes
Some heroes are smaller than others. Help us raise awareness of premature birth and celebrate each of our resilient, strong preemie super heroes who have accomplished so much! They may be tiny, but they are mighty. Hand to Hold created Preemie Power – a photo/essay contest and family celebration – to recognize each tiny super hero for the amazing obstacles they have overcome in the NICU, and for some, many years beyond. The variety of stories you will hear will astound you. You will be amazed at the milestones these little ones have achieved against the odds. And, you will be touched at how far they have come.

Photo Contest

“[We participated in Preemie Power because] Because I think it gives hope to other parents like us. In the NICU there isn’t a lot of photos/stories on the wall, at most 3 in any given week. These small highlights of hope are a light in a NICU parent’s dark days. I had a friend call me when her cousin’s baby was born at 22 weeks. He is with the Lord now, but she didn’t know where to turn and I was able to give her all the info I had. People ask me everyday about Alice. She is my little fighter.”– Lissa S., preemie mom

The fourth annual Preemie Power Photo & Essay Contest will begin accepting entries in 5 age categories (up from 3 last year!) 8 a.m. CT on Monday, September 30, 2013, and voting will take place Friday, October 18, 2013 beginning at noon CT. Supporters may vote for their favorite super heroes by placing a vote each day (24 hours from your last vote) for one or multiple children. Winners will be notified the Monday after Prematurity Awareness Day, November 18, 2013. We consider every preemie’s story to be precious – each of them are winners! This is why each tiny hero is featured on our Preemie Power blog and on our Preemie Power Facebook page.

Quick Stats:

The third annual Photo & Essay Contest in 2012 honored 186 families from 46 states in the U.S. and 5 Canadian provinces and the contest garnering 22,800 votes and 56,000 Website visits over a four-week period.

The second annual National Photo & Essay Contest 2011 honored 91 preemie families from 29 states and Canada. The contest logged 39,485 website visits over a four-week period and more than 31,000 votes. Learn more about the Photo Contest. http://youtu.be/phzo1PJMPJc

Family Celebration – August 24, 2012

“Yeah! I said. I felt that way, too! The emotions were flying now, but they weren’t bad ones. They were ones of relief. I’d always known my reactions were perfectly normal. I’d heard other parents talk about it. But to hear someone else say them again — even after all this time — was such a comfort. I felt like I was talking to another veteran, someone who had been on the same battlefield as I had and had made it to the other side, scarred but alive. That’s what the Preemie Power event did for parents. On the surface, it was a party. In reality, it was something deeper.” –Andrea Ball, preemie mom & Austin American-Statesman reporter

New this year, we kicked off our 2012 Preemie Power Family Celebration at the ball park! Families joined Hand to Hold for our third annual Preemie Power Family Celebration at the Dell Diamond’s United Heritage Center at 5 pm on Friday, August 24. The free celebration featured a super hero theme, ball park buffet and fun activities for all the once-tiny heroes of the NICU and their siblings. Families stayed for the Round Rock Express game which began at 7 pm and the fireworks after the game. Families had the choice to watch the ballgame from the comfort of our event room or in a seat in a reserved block. The event was free. Download a Preemie Power Family Celebration Flier. Find out more about the Preemie Power Family Celebration.

Thanks to our 2012 Sponsors

Superior Strength

Fearless Fighting

Beyond Brave

Fearless Flying

Austin’s First Steps High Risk Follow-up Pediatric Clinic, BABYBJÖRN, Growing Places Therapy Services, H-E-B, Knight Construction, RiverKids Pediatric Home Health, Sonic, TreeHouse Pediatrics, Women Partners in Health

Partners

Add your name to this list – sponsorship opportunities are still available. See our 2011 Sponsors & 2010 Sponsors.

More Details

For sponsorship or featuring your goods/services at the 2012 event & photo/story online contest, visit the sponsorship benefits. If you have questions, please contact kelli [at] handtohold [dot] org.