Cigna employees picked up a few extra shifts April 6th on stationery bikes at the Cigna Spin-a-thon to raise money for the March of Dimes. Every half hour from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cigna employees took shifts on bikes at the Cigna office located at Happy Valley Rd. and I-17 to raise money for the March of Dimes March for Babies event that was on April 9.

A total of 72 employees rode throughout the day while their co-workers cheered them on and donated money to the cause. Employees who donated money had riders do sprints and increase resistance on their bikes. They also donated money to have riders wear costumes while they rode.

Cigna has been a partner of the March of Dimes and a national sponsor of March for Babies for the past 22

years. Last year, Cigna was the No.1 fundraising team in Arizona, raising nearly $86,000 with approximately

200 participants.

Rebecca Willard, medical administrative assistant for Cigna Medical Group Paradise Valley Multi-Specialty Center participated in the spin-a-thon and has been walking on the Cigna March for Babies team for several years.

The March of Dimes is an organization near and dear to my heart,” said Willard. “Not only did I give birth to a premature baby, but I was also a premature baby myself. My younger brothers, Christopher and Charles, were also born prematurely. Christopher passed away shortly after birth, but Charles survived after spending months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).”

Years later Willard gave birth to her first son, Gary Michael. He was three months early and weighed 1 lb. 13oz. “Although doctors fought hard to save his life, Gary Michael did not survive. My time with him was brief, but precious,” said Willard. “I later went on to have two sons, who were both premature and a daughter. All three are healthy young adults.”

Willard says she participates every year because she wants to help other women have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. For more information about the March of Dimes March for Babies, please visit www.marchforbabies.org.