• Baby Jovie was saved at UnityPoint during football season.

UnityPoint Health partners with Every Kick Counts and student athletes to reduce stillbirths

  • Kimberly Isburg
  • 06.17.22

We are thrilled to announce UnityPoint Health is the Presenting Sponsor for Every Kick Counts. Every Kick Counts is a new philanthropic initiative that allows student athletes to turn their performance on the field into a win for their community.

“It’s important to reach families in a variety of ways. Every Kick Counts helps us do that by raising awareness about Count the Kicks through athletics in communities across the country,” said Dr. Diana Kaufman, Medical Director, Women’s Health Service Line, UnityPoint Health.

How it Works

Athletes who sign up collect donations for Count the Kicks by receiving pledges for every score, punt, kick or success they have in their game. Every time they succeed, they raise money and potentially save lives. All proceeds directly benefit our mission to prevent stillbirth and reduce racial disparities that persist in birth outcomes.

Athletes across the country (from high school to professional sports) have already committed to turning their performance into monetary support for Count the Kicks. Committed athletes include Matt Haack of the Buffalo Bills and Tory Taylor of the University of Iowa football team.

Impact of Count the Kicks

Baby Jovie (pictured above) is living proof that Count the Kicks WORKS. She was saved at UnityPoint last fall — during football season — when her mom noticed a change in her movements.

“I will be forever grateful to Count the Kicks for saving my baby girl’s life. I knew something was off, and I’m so glad we went to the hospital that night. Thank you to all the doctors and nurses who brought her safely into this world and who have cared for her along the way,” said Jess H., Jovie’s mom.

Get Involved

We are thrilled to kick off this new campaign. We are also grateful to UnityPoint Health and the athletes across the country who have joined together to support our mission. Together we are raising awareness about how every kick counts, both on the field and during pregnancy. We are also working together to improve birth outcomes nationwide! 

Athletes looking to sign up, gather pledges, and get involved can visit the Every Kick Counts website to get started. You can also visit the website to pledge your support to an athlete and learn more about the campaign. 

Follow Every Kick Counts

We invite you to follow Every Kick Counts on social media using the links below. Be sure to use the hashtag #EveryKickCounts

NEWS

Easy Delivery!

Sign up for our newsletter for the simplest way to stay in touch with the latest information about our mission, events, volunteer opportunities, and more.