Longtime volunteer reflects

Houston ranks No. 1 in baby love: The country's top March of Dimes eventcelebrates 40 years & two billion raised

This year, the March of Dimes' March for Babies is expected to bring over 30,000participants.
Photo by David Postma
Houston's March of Dimes ambassador family, Loriana Morris, Jake Decker,daughter Jocelyn, and their twin boys Wesley and Gabriel, relied on help fromthe March of Dimes when the twin boys were born premature.
Photo by Jaime Collier
Loriana was diagnosed with Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome at 24 weeks, andWesley and Gabriel were born prematurely at 33 weeks.

We may not have scored ourselves a space shuttle. Nor did we make the (arbitrary) urban cut for caring about the environment. But when our town raised more than three million to help babies born sick or too soon in one event — which ranks it No. 1 in the nation — ahem, it puts it all in perspective.

On Sunday, the March of Dimes will host the annual March for Babies fundraising event for the 40th time in Houston. This five-mile walk will start and end at the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium, and is expected to draw more than 30,000 marchers. Last year's event earned the distinction as the No. 1 March of Dimes event in the nation in terms of participants and money raised — and organizers expect to raise another record $3.2 million this year.

That would push H-Town's March of Babes contribution to more than two billion in the 40 years of the event.

Baby, Houston's come a long way.

March for Babies volunteer logistics coordinator Bobby Holloway, a member of the Centerpoint Energy team, has been a volunteer for the Houston event for the last 25 years. "I remember when we collected dimes and put them in the slots in cardboard boxes," he says.

"The event and number of teams has expanded significantly since I began volunteering," Holloway continues. "Twenty five years ago, there were about 15,000 walkers and it was held at Rice. But we outgrew Rice, and now we're at UH."

This year, the fundraising walk is only the beginning of the party. Other festivities include a rock wall, an inflatable bounce house, and arts, crafts, and refreshments galore.

Maybe we'll never win in an irritability contest. Maybe we're the perpetual runner up to Chicago in areas like corporate expansion.

But where it counts, our city knows how to pack a powerful, life-saving punch.

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no more trips to Colorado

Bill to legalize marijuana in Texas filed by Dallas Democrat

Photo courtesy of Texas Original

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Texas Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana