"I'm very honored and humble to have been selected by the March of Dimes as their 2007 Northeast Arkansas Citizen of the Year," said Berry.  "The advocacy they do for babies such as fighting birth defects and infant mortality is commendable and I am very grateful of this recognition especially because it comes from such an outstanding organization."

"As a member of Congress and as a parent, I admire President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his work with the March of Dimes and for his leadership, believing that we can solve any problem as long as we work together.  His persistence led to the creation of a polio vaccine that has helped eradicate the disease in so many countries.  Today as we tackle new ailments, I'm proud to help the March of Dimes continue their mission to give babies the best chance available for a healthy and fulfilling life," said Berry.

"Congressman Berry is an incredible leader for health care improvements in our state and nation," said March of Dimes State Director Clay Mercer. "His work to pass SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program), lower the cost of prescription drugs and help community pharmacies keep their doors open for families furthers our mission.  We hope to not only decrease the number of babies who are born too soon or too small, we hope that someday all babies will be born healthy and begin life with every available opportunity for a bright future."

The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency.  Founded in 1938, the organization funds programs of research, community service, education and advocacy to save babies and in 2003, the March of Dimes launched a campaign to reduce the rate of premature birth.  Since 1977, the March of Dimes has annually honored outstanding Arkansas leaders for the "Citizen of the Year" award.  Congressman Berry is the inaugural recipient of The Northeast Arkansas Citizen of the year award.