On shoulders, in strollers or on their own two feet, kids sprawled out across Auditorium Shores Saturday morning.

The March of Dimes, March for Babies, brought thousands of people out to walk and raise money.

But for many families, the walk is a way to say 'thank you' for other little miracles.

"We have two twin boys—Maddox and Chase—and they had a rough start," participant Henry Medrano said. "They were born three months early, a lot earlier than we expected. They had a three month stay in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). We know that the March of Dimes has provided the research and even the preventative treatments that helped our boys thrive and get to be the healthy boys they are today. They're now two-and-a-half years old."

According to the March of Dimes, in Texas, one in seven babies are born premature. 1002 babies are born pre-term in Texas every week.

Last year about 7,000 people participated in the march for babies, raising over a million dollars.

This year, organizers hoped to collect 8,000 walkers, and raise $1.5 million.