25th annual Walk for the Future in Le Mars

LE MARS, Iowa (KCAU) – The Iowa SIDS Foundation hosted its 25th annual Walk for the Future, an event that remembers the babies that were lost too soon to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS.

“It’s the passing of a normally healthy baby. We really don’t know the reasons why yet, there’s been lots of research done to find the cause of SIDS, but at this point, it’s still unknown,” said Iowa SIDS Foundation state board member Pam Jeneary. “We have three main goals; support, support for families that have lost a child to SIDS, educate, we do a lot of education throughout the whole state for safe sleep practices, and research. A lot of the funding today will go to Boston’s Children’s Hospital to find the cause of SIDS.”

More than 100 people walked to honor and remember the northwest Iowa babies that have passed on.

“This type of event brings awareness that it is something that happens, and it’s happening to local families, and we can help get the information out there about ways to reduce risk because really that’s where we’re at right now, we really don’t know what causes but we do know what will reduce risks of it happening,” said Le Mars Walk for the Future team member Alyssa Bendickson.

Through the Walk for the Future, the Iowa SIDS Foundation ensures that the babies that were taken too soon will always be remembered.

“Our son passed away from SIDS, it would be 41 years ago, but still we want him to be remembered,” said Jeneary. “So every year when people come and donate, it just makes all those families feel like ‘yes, we do remember and we always will remember your child.’”

In past years the Walk for the Future has raised $20,000 for SIDS research and awareness.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to SiouxlandProud | Sioux City, IA | News, Weather, and Sports.