Jennifer Hudson to Receive Grace Kelly Award at 2016 March of Dimes

 

 

Jennifer Hudson has been tapped to receive the 2016 March of Dimes Grace Kelly Award, PEOPLE confirms exclusively.
Hudson, who is mom to 7-year-old son David Daniel Otunga Jr., will be presented with the award at the sixth annual Celebration of Babies: A Hollywood Luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Dec. 9.
Each year, the Grace Kelly Award is given to a celebrity parent who shares March of Dimes’ commitment to helping families and giving all babies the healthiest start in life.

“It’s such an honor to be recognized with the March of Dimes Grace Kelly Award,” Hudson says in a statement. “I’ve been privileged to have gone through a healthy pregnancy with my son, but I know it’s not like that for everyone. Having healthy and happy babies is every mother’s wish. But in the United States, premature birth is the number one cause of death of babies. I’m proud to support March of Dimes in their ongoing commitment.”

The Academy Award-winning actress will join a star-studded list of past honorees, including Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Lopez and Reese Witherspoon.
The event has had a long relationship with Hollywood and will bring together celebrities who are passionate about the health of moms and babies.
Last year, the luncheon raised over $1.4 million for March of Dimes. Since the inaugural event in 2011, Celebration of Babies has raised nearly $5.7 million.

March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization working to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.