The Count the Kicks Changemakers Luncheon, formerly known as the Every Woman Counts Event, is an annual fundraising event that benefits Healthy Birth Day, Inc., the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that created the Count the Kicks public health campaign.
Each year our event features engaging and impactful programming, the powerful stories of families impacted by our work, and passionate speakers. We will gather to celebrate the life-saving impact changemakers like you have on our mission during a powerful and uplifting luncheon that will be the highlight of your week.
Last year we were back in the ballroom at the Iowa Events Center for the first time since 2019! We have experienced tremendous growth over the past few years, and our program’s reach is now international. A hybrid event provides an opportunity for advocates and supporters of our mission to participate from around the world! Healthy Birth Day, Inc. has health partnerships in 25 states and Ambassadors in 37 states. We want to celebrate the progress of the Count the Kicks campaign with everyone no matter where they live!
Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and presenting sponsor MercyOne place a high priority on the health and safety of our guests. We will have masks and hand sanitizer on hand at the event. We encourage anyone who is not feeling well or has recently been exposed to COVID-19 to join us virtually.
1. Attending In-Person: Click here if you wish to purchase a single in person ticket, multiple tickets, be a Table Captain or if you want to be an In-Person Corporate Sponsor and will be attending the event in-person at the Iowa Events Center.
2. Attending Virtually: Click here if you wish to purchase a single virtual ticket, multiple tickets, be a Virtual Corporate Sponsor, or if you wish to be a Watch Party Host and will be watching the event virtually from wherever you are.
When registering as a Table Captain you agree to attend in-person and purchase one table for you and 9 guests for a $750 donation. For specific instructions on how to register as a Table Captain, click here.
After you have completed the registration process, you will receive an email confirmation and then a second email titled “Changemakers Luncheon Table Manager Information” with a unique link that will take you to your very own Table Managers page.
From this page you can invite your friends, register them manually yourself, remove guests if they need to cancel and email your group with important information or announcements. You will be notified via email as each guest registers.
For more detailed instructions on managing your table, click here. Your guests will not be charged, and you cannot exchange money through this site. If you plan to collect seat fees from your guests, you will need to personally collect those funds.
When registering as a Virtual Watch Party Host you agree to attend virtually and purchase a watch party ticket for you and an unlimited number of guests for a $400 donation. As a Virtual Watch Party Host, you can opt-in during the registration process to receive a $200 Grub Hub e‑credit to use for refreshments at your party. The credit will be issued via email 1 – 2 days prior to the event and will expire the following day. You will need to set up a GrubHub account to use the e‑credit and it will expire on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
The cut-off date to attend in person is 10 a.m. CST on Monday, April 3, 2023. The cut-off date to attend virtually is 5 p.m. CST on Friday, April 14, 2023.
Register and purchase a virtual ticket here. One day before the event, you will receive a check-in email containing a unique link to check in for the virtual program. You will go to this page on Monday April 17, 2023 at 12 p.m. CST to watch the livestream. There will be no pre-event programming for virtual participants.
Table Captains and Corporate Sponsors will receive a super soft, exclusive Count the Kicks “Changemaker” T‑shirt designed by Raygun. You will be asked for your T‑shirt size and shipping address during the registration process. Your shirt will be shipped to you within 10 business days of registration.
Guests of Table Captains and those who purchase an individual in-person or virtual ticket can purchase a T‑shirt from our Merchandise page on the event website. Your shirt will be shipped directly to you after your purchase. The shirts come in adults and youth sizes and cost $25 each.
You can also purchase T‑shirts and other Count the Kicks Merchandise on the day of the event at the Iowa Event center (limited sizes and quantities available).
The sooner you register, the sooner you will get your shirt. Shirts will be mailed from Des Moines, Iowa, within 2 weeks of your registration date.
This year’s silent auction is available for in-person attendees only. Bidding will open at 10:45 a.m. on April 17 when doors open at the Iowa Event Center. Bidding will close around 11:55 a.m., shortly before the program begins. Bidders will write their names and cell phone numbers on the bidding sheets and must follow the designated increments listed at the top.
There will be two announcements warning participants of the closing time. At closing time the person with the highest qualifying bid will win the prize. Winners will be notified by text to their mobile phones during the program and will check out at the designated tables in the ballroom foyer immediately following the event. Cash, check, debit or credit cards will be accepted. Any unclaimed prizes become the property of the organization.
For more information on the rules and regulations click here.
YES! We have many different levels of sponsorships to fit every budget both in-person and virtual. Every level includes many benefits for our sponsors. Please email our Annual Giving & Events Coordinator Colleen Dougherty at dougherty.colleen@healthybirthday.org to become a sponsor.
Visit our sponsor page to see who is already signed up!
Count the Kicks is an evidence-based stillbirth prevention and awareness campaign that teaches expectant parents the method for, and importance of, tracking fetal movement daily during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Every year in the U.S., 22,300 babies are born still. One in every 173 pregnancies ends in stillbirth and families are 6.5 times more likely to suffer a stillbirth than to lose a baby to SIDS. According to the CDC, a Black woman is more than twice as likely to lose her baby to stillbirth (1 in 97 pregnancies) than her white neighbor, colleague, or friend. Research shows that a change in movement is sometimes the only indication that a baby is in distress and needs to be checked by your doctor.
It is important for all expectant parents to understand the importance of kick counting in the third trimester. By using the FREE Count the Kicks app daily starting at 28 weeks, expectant parents will have the peace of mind to know when things are OK and when things have changed, empowering them to contact their provider.
The Count the Kicks app is available in the Google Play and iTunes app stores and has been downloaded more than 212,000 times by expectant parents in all 50 states. It’s an easy-to-use tool for expectant parents to monitor their baby’s well-being in addition to regular prenatal visits.
Through the Count the Kicks program there is a community of expectant parents who are in tune with their bodies and their babies, letting providers know when something feels off. Time and time again this system works — and babies are being saved across the country. In the first 10 years of our campaign in Iowa, the state’s stillbirth rate has decreased nearly 32% while rates in the rest of the country remained stagnant. If we were to replicate the success we have experienced in Iowa, we could save 7,500 babies every year in the United States.
All proceeds from Changemakers Luncheon will be used to directly impact our mission to prevent stillbirth and save babies by providing Count the Kicks education and resources to as many expectant parents and providers as possible. This event helps keep the Count the Kicks app FREE for all expectant parents and allows us to raise awareness on social media, via webinars and in presentations.
Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is the 501(3)© non-profit responsible for the Count the Kicks program. Learn more at www.countthekicks.org and www.healthybirthday.org.
Other questions? Contact Colleen Dougherty.
You can find more information on the schedule of events on the schedule page.
You can find information on parking and directions to the Iowa Event Center on the parking page.
Everyone is invited to be a Peer to Peer fundraiser for our event! A Peer to Peer fundraiser is someone who raises awareness and funds to support our mission by asking friends, family, and colleagues to make a donation to our organization through your personal fundraising page.
It’s easy to create your own fundraiser! Register to be a fundraiser by clicking here.
You’ll receive your very own fundraising page with a template that is set up and ready to go. If you choose, you can customize your page to share your story and connection to our mission. Once your page is just how you want it, you can start inviting friends and family to donate directly from the page by email or by sharing your page link to social media. It’s that easy!
All fundraisers who raise $250 or more will win a free Changemaker event T‑shirt. The top three fundraisers will win an additional prize. The top fundraiser will get a Coach handbag and matching wallet, second-place fundraiser will win a $200 SpaFinder gift card, and third place fundraiser will get a $125 Amazon gift card.
Your table number will be emailed to you the week prior to the event. There will also be an information table at the Iowa Events Center the morning of the event with that information available.
Table Captains and Corporate Sponsors are responsible for managing and making sure their own table guests are registered. As a table manager, you should have received a “Changemakers Luncheon Table Manager Information” email when you first registered. SAVE THIS EMAIL and use the Manage My Guest List button to add, delete and contact your table guests.
You can find more detailed instructions here.