Nine Months Matter Coalition presents ‘Del Mar Derby Day’

On Saturday, July 14, the Nine Months Matter Coalition, a program of UCSD’s Center for Better Beginnings, will host “Del Mar Derby Day,” a Chocolate and Champagne Fashion Show. The show will feature the latest styles from Paris and Italy brought by Le Boudoir Fashions and custom hats from local designer Aimee Fuller-Meals. This will be the inaugural event for the coalition and will directly benefit children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and help ensure they get needed interventions, which are not covered by health insurance.

FASD is a lifelong disability that is 0 percent curable but 100 percent preventable. Current research shows that even minimal consumption of alcohol at any stage during pregnancy can cause brain damage that results in significant learning and behavior difficulties.

The funds raised at Del Mar Derby Day will be utilized to support the Math Interactive Learning Experience (MILE) at UCSD. MILE is an evidence-based math intervention program that teaches children how to focus and organize their thoughts, decreases impulsive responding and increases positive behavior in the classroom.

The Nine Months Matter Coalition is an all volunteer, nonprofit organization comprised of community activists, philanthropists, and international FASD experts. The coalition is dedicated to increasing community awareness of the dangers of drinking while pregnant and to provide support for FASD interventions. One of its founding members, Dr. Ken Jones, a UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital pediatrician, was one of two physicians to first describe fetal alcohol syndrome in 1973 and has spent his career researching the disorder and providing care to affected children.

Del Mar Derby Day will be held from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Fairbanks Ranch Clubhouse at 17651 Circa Del Norte in Rancho Santa Fe. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at ninemonthsmatter.org/events