In the lead-up to the event at Constant’s Wharf Park on April 26, a kickoff breakfast for the March of Dimes March for Babies will be held at the QVC Suffolk Distribution Center on Friday.

The breakfast provides information for any individual group, organization, church or family interested in forming a team and participating in the walk, according to Jamie Stump, March of Dimes’ community director for Greater Hampton Roads.

“It’s an opportunity for veteran teams and new teams to compare what has worked for them and what hasn’t worked for them from past years,” Stump added.

She also said it’s an opportunity to get people excited about the event. Furthermore, she said, it’s a chance for previous ambassador families to catch up with one another and event officials.

The annual event raises money for the special treatments and devices that keep babies born premature alive.

It also supports programs in communities that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies and funds research toward finding solutions to health problems that threaten babies.

The walk has raised $2 billion since beginning in 1970, according to a news release.

This year, more than seven million across 900 communities are expected to take part in the March for Babies.

The kickoff breakfast gets underway at QVC, located off Wilroy Road, at 8 a.m. There, Suffolk’s event ambassador family, Titania, Frederick and 6-year-old Sanaa Darden, will appear in the role for the first time.

On April 26, the walk starts at 10 a.m. behind the downtown Hilton Garden Inn, with registration an hour earlier.

Stump thanked Suffolk Public Schools for its support, as well as QVC. She invited other businesses or organizations interesting in becoming sponsors, either monetarily or in-kind, to reach out.

“It think we are off to a good start,” she said of the level of interest this year so far, “but just like any other charity, there’s always competition out there.”

To RSVP for the kickoff breakfast, email Jamie Stump at jstump@marchofdimes.com or call her at 383-8824 as soon as possible.