MAAME, Inc. | 3rd Annual Run, Walk & Stroll

Run for Moms. Walk for Doulas. Stroll for Birth Justice.

📅 Saturday, April 25, 2026
📍 Shepard Middle Magnet School | 2401 Dakota St, Durham, NC 27707
⏰ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Why We Run, Walk & Stroll

North Carolina is facing a maternal health crisis — and our communities are feeling it.

The state received a D+ on the March of Dimes maternal and infant health report card. Between 2018 and 2022, the maternal mortality rate reached 26.7 deaths per 100,000 live births. In 2023, 834 infants did not survive their first year of life — approximately 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Too many families still face barriers to timely prenatal care, trusted support during pregnancy, and coordinated postpartum services.

Many of these outcomes are preventable.

Community-based doula care is part of the solution. Doulas provide continuous, non-clinical support before, during, and after birth — helping families navigate the healthcare system, prepare for labor, initiate breastfeeding, and access the postpartum resources they need. Research consistently shows that doula support is associated with improved birth experiences, fewer unnecessary interventions, and stronger outcomes for both mothers and infants.

The MAAME Run, Walk & Stroll is more than a community event. It is a collective commitment to expanding access, strengthening the maternal health workforce, and building healthier beginnings for families across North Carolina.

Every step moves us closer to safer births and stronger families.