the March of dimes Northeast georgia Division
announces new Board member
Sherri Goggin of Athens Georgia,
Accepts March of Dimes Volunteer Leadership Positions
Suwanee, GA - October 17, 2006 - The March of Dimes announced today that the current reigning Mrs. Georgia Sherri Goggin has accepted prominent volunteer leadership role for the Northeast Georgia Division.
Mrs. Goggin has been accepted to the Northeast Georgia Division March of Dimes Board of Directors. Sherri has been actively involved with the March of Dimes for 5 years with her Walk team the Preemie Teamie and more recently with her Bundles of Joy project. Sherri created this project as an outreach for parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Each Bundle of Joy gift bag contains a homemade fleece blanket made by members of the Athens community, a teddy bear, music CD created by the Children’s Music Ministry at First United Methodist Church in Athens, rag doll from K.T. Duds, Devotional booklet, letter from Sherri on parenting in the NICU and March of Dimes literature. Sherri travels to N.I.C.U.s across Georgia delivering these bundles of joy to families.
The current reining Mrs. Georgia ,Sherri Goggin, has also accepted a prominent volunteer role for the March of Dimes Northeast Georgia Chapter. Goggin has volunteered to serve as the 2007 Athens Honorary WalkAmerica Chair. Goggin has more than 10 years of volunteer experience and has been a strong supporter of the March of Dimes mission. “Having given birth to preemies myself, I can understand how the March of Dimes fight against prematurity saves lives and reduces serious health problems" says Goggin. "WalkAmerica is a wonderful event and I am proud to be a part of it."
Each year WalkAmerica brings together hundreds of thousands of compassionate supporters who believe that their personal support will make a difference in babies' lives. The upcoming 2007 metro Athens WalkAmerica events will take place on Saturday, April 28 at Bishop Park.
For more information about participating in WalkAmerica contact the March of Dimes Northeast Georgia Division at 678-546-0023 or visit www.walkamerica.org.
ABOUT MARCH OF DIMES
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies.
www.marchofdimes.com/georgia www.walkamerica.org
Media Contact: Brittney Gray, Director of Communications, 404-350-9800 x 224 or bgray@marchofdimes.com
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Sherri Goggin cold calls neo-natal intensive care units to introduce her deliveries of warmth.
She has named the care packages "bundles of joy." Stuffed with handmade fleece blankets, journals, teddy bears and more, they are packed for parents of struggling newborns.
The giver, meanwhile, supplies a shoulder to lean on and some understanding as a mother who has birthed six children. Five of those children, including one she lost, were born premature.
That Goggin's title extends beyond mom is an afterthought. Mention of her crown caps the phone calls, designed to open hospital doors to her and the March of Dimes cause she now champions.
"(The bundles) are my lead-in," said Goggin, a former sales executive, explaining how she asks for permission to visit. "Oh, and, by the way, I'm Mrs. Georgia."
The humble hello illustrates how the Athens woman tackled her first beauty pageant - and took her first title.
Since being crowned Mrs. Georgia in February, Goggin has advanced her bundles program along with a platform of support for March of Dimes.
The charity, which centers on medical research aimed at curbing premature birth and its effects, will be highlighted again Wednesday and Thursday at Orleans Hotel Theatre in Las Vegas. There, Goggin, 36, will vie for Mrs. United States.
"The pageant is a megaphone to help me share and do some really great things," she said. "It's totally icing on the cake, but it's not the cake. My main thing is, 'I'm with the March of Dimes.' "
That has been her rallying cry since 1999, the year following the birth of her first children, Kate and Jack. The twins arrived 16 weeks early after contractions rushed Goggin and her husband Tom to the hospital Thanksgiving Day.
Jack died after seven hours. Kate struggled to live after 24 weeks of gestation.
At the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Goggin kept a journal at her daughter's bedside. Their stay lasted four months.
"There was nothing else to do except write, pray and listen to the rounds (of student doctors in training)," the mother said.
Kate survived, as did her mom, whose diary chronicling the trauma will be published by Hill Street Press as "Dear Kate" next year. It is designed to comfort parents struggling with their children in NICUs. A share of the proceeds will go to the March of Dimes.
The charity is featuring the Goggin family - including 3-year-old triplets Sam, Will and Mary, also born premature - in its video to promote its national "2007 Walk America" campaign.
"That is one of those things, you certainly don't want it to happen to anyone, but if it does, it certainly changes your perspective for the good," Goggin said of her childbirth experience with Jack and Kate. "It causes you not to take life for granted."
This outlook led her to consider entering a "pageant" the second time that chit-chat of being in such an event surfaced during a round of tennis. She went home, Googled and decided to file an application to compete in the Mrs. Georgia event.
"Maybe this is a sign," Goggin said, of her thinking at the time. "If I'm selected, it's meant to be."
When she was picked to participate, Goggin sought advice on how to compete. A personal trainer helped her tone her muscles, made lean already by her tennis game. A pageant coach picked her wardrobe, did her hair and makeup and gave her a few other tips.
Fake eyelashes, for instance, come in "interview" and "diva" lengths, Goggin explained with a grin. Cushions contestants refer to as "chicken cutlets" supply extra padding for women with small chests, and some use the braces to round out hips for hourglass appeal.
And interviews, well, they can be tricky, too.
"I'll be glad to get that over with," Goggin said, of that portion of her upcoming competition. "Judges have just four minutes with 54 contestants. You have four minutes to be very charming."
She spoke these words on the fly, quickly trailing her five children who scrambled to the playground equipment outside their west Athens home.
Goggin didn't bother tying her ponytail any tighter or wiping the sweat from her forehead during a climb on the Jungle Gym.
Nor did she worry minutes earlier about the garment bag filled with expensive pageant gowns sharing space on the kitchen counter with sippy cups.
"It's my life," Goggin said, explaining how she balances the see-saw of activities.
Her best-friend, Noah Murdock, has watched her friend navigate such ups and downs with ease since Kate's birth.
The two women have enjoyed going over the details of beauty perfected for pageant purposes.
Murdock, who'll join the Goggins in Las Vegas for the Mrs. United States event, related one eye-opening story, especially, about the first set of promotional pageant portraits.
"I said, 'Sherri, can you imagine if you looked like this,' " Noah said, giggling at the surreal, computer-assisted image of her best friend. "I'd want to marry you."
Photo Shop software aside, what Murdock identifies most as her best friend's real traits are her no-problem smile and can-do attitude.
Goggin seems to prefer jeans over jewels and sweat in the playground over spray-on glue that keeps the "never get wet" bathing suit in sequins from slipping.
And, you can always count on five children vying for a hug or help from mom, whose main commands to behave this day involved using the word "grown up" and the plea: "Anyone want Chik-fil-A?"
"The neatest thing about Sherri is that the Sherri you met this morning is the same Sherri you meet all day long," Murdock said. "She's increasingly upbeat and positive. So many people can get so bogged down in daily life ... that warmth and that general caring about other people and nurturing is what draws people to her."
Sherri Goggin, who recently was named Mrs. Georgia, holds her 7-year-old daughter, Kate. Kate was born 16 weeks early and spent four months in intensive care. Sherri Goggin hopes to use her notoriety to promote the March of Dimes, which funds research in infant health and preventing premature birth.
Caleb Raynor/Staff
Mrs. Georgia, Sherri Goggin of Athens, plays with her five children (from left) Sam, 3, Mary, 3, Kate, 7, Tom, 5, and Will, 3.
Caleb Raynor/Staff
Tuesday, June 27 the Augusta Chronicle
Wednesday, June 28 this photo ran showing Sherri and daughter Kate making baby blankets for NICU infants
The Goggin family leads the Clarke County WalkAmerica 2006 as part of the filming for the Walk Video 2007.
Mrs Georgia featured in August issue of Athens Magazine
Mrs Georgia featured in August issue of Athens Magazine
MRS. GEORGIA DEDICATES REIGN TO SUPPORTING THE MARCH OF DIMES
(Athens, Ga.) Mrs. Georgia United States Sherri Goggin has selected The March of Dimes as her platform to support, advocate and raise awareness for during her reign.
A longtime supporter of the March of Dimes, Mrs. Goggin and her family served as the local Ambassador Family for the 1999 campaign and will be the featured family in the 2007 Walk America national video. Additionally, in 2000 Mrs. Goggin began “The Preemie Teamie,” her own Walk America team that has raised more than $7,000.
“The Mrs. Georgia title gives me a voice that I plan to use on behalf of the March of Dimes,” said Mrs. Goggin, who was crowned February 26 at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center.
A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mrs. Goggin graduated from the University of Tennessee - Chattanooga and pursued a career in pharmaceutical sales. She met her husband, Tom, an OB/GYN in Athens and the couple married in 1996. Together, they have five children, Kate, 7, Tom, 5 and 3-year-old triplets Will, Sam and Mary, but it was the death of Kate’s twin, Jack that led to her dedication to the mission of the March of Dimes, “…to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defect, premature birth, and infant mortality through research, community services, education and advocacy.”
With her first pregnancy resulting in both joy and sorrow, Mrs. Goggin delivered Kate and Jack 16 weeks early and was forced to say goodbye to baby Jack only seven hours after birth. Kate spent the first four months of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit, weighing only one pound, seven ounces.
During her stay, Mrs. Goggin kept a daily journal to help her through her grief and uncertainty as she watched Kate struggle. Her journaling proved to be therapeutic, and she plans to use her experience to help other families who find themselves in this similar situation.
By publishing “Kate’s Journal,” Mrs. Goggin will partner with the March of Dimes to offer it to parents with babies in the NICU. In addition to her entries, the journal will allow parents to write their own story in hopes it will provide a similar healing experience.
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Mrs. Georgia (page 2 of 2)
In addition to appearances, speaking engagements and Walk America venue visits; Goggin will compete in the Mrs. United States Pageant in Las Vegas in July.
“I’m looking forward to competing with other accomplished married women from across the country,” she said. “The greater exposure I could offer the March of Dimes as a national representative would be a testament to Jack’s memory and a tribute to Kate’s life.”
For more information about Mrs. Georgia, booking speaking engagements or appearances, visit www.sherrigoggin.com
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Sherri Goggin Featured in Athena Magazine
Download the article featured in the magazine here