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  • Katie Korhonen is the new district leader for March of Dimes in Duncan. Rebeka Rutledge/The Duncan Banner

    Katie Korhonen is the new district leader for March of Dimes in Duncan.
August 15, 2012

Korhonen to serve as new MOD leader

Rebeka Rutledge The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN — March of Dimes’ March for Babies Kickoff Luncheon held Tuesday at the Hampton Inn served had a meet and greet atmosphere.

While in the past, the district leader for Duncan has been Nancy Miller out of Ardmore, however, due to district changes, Katie Korhonen out of Lawton is now the leader. Korhonen wanted to make this first meeting of the year a chance for teams to get to know her.

“I’ve heard really great things about Duncan,” she said. “I’ve been with March of Dimes for five years and I’m only 30 minutes away instead of two and a half hours.”

Miller had planned to be at the luncheon, also, but because of a family event, she couldn’t attend.

She is scheduled to be at the next meeting set for Sept. 13, again at the Hampton Inn.

Although it was a small gathering at the first meeting with a few representatives of teams from First Bank & Trust and the Department of Health Services, those who were there took the opportunity to get to know their new district leader.

Korhonen was asked what her favorite part was in being involved with the March of Dimes cause.

“When I first started, I liked not being stuck in an office,” she answered. “Then my nephew was born at 30 weeks, so it brought a new meaning for me to be involved.”

Team leaders also asked what she liked about the fundraising aspect of March of Dimes, where all the money raised goes toward providing the means to have healthy babies and care for those who have been born premature and with possible defects.

“I like watching you guys succeed and I don’t mean just meeting money goals, I want to know how you felt about how your fundraising went,” said Korhonen. “I want to know that you felt you did your best and you feel successful and that you had fun because March of Dimes shouldn’t be another job to you.”

The team members that were there described several fundraisers they have coming up to raise the money to reach Duncan’s March of Dimes goal of $20,000 this year.

Among them were cookouts, pie in the face contests and blue jean day at the bank.

Korhonen stressed to the members that she is looking forward to her first year with Duncan and that because Miller was her mentor when she first began with March of Dimes, not many, if any, procedures will change.

“Nancy will be with me all through this year to help and transition, then next year, it will just be me,” she said.

Korhonen mentioned she hopes more of the teams will show up to the next meeting in September to find out more about this year’s fundraising efforts and meet her as well.

A couple of videos, one featuring Korhonen’s nephew, and detailing where the money goes, will be shown during the meeting.

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