Food has a way of bringing people together. At the Signature Chefs Auction, a Nov. 12 benefit for the March of Dimes, attendees had many reasons to grab a fork.

At the University of Minnesota's McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis, guests sampled small plates from restaurants recruited by 20.21 chef Asher Miller, whose grandfather had polio.

Elizabeth Roosevelt Johnston, an assistant Hennepin County attorney, has a long family history with the March of Dimes. "My great-grandfather founded the organization," said Johnston, a member of the national board of trustees. Her great-grandfather was President Franklin Roosevelt, who created the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis in 1938. (The name was later changed to reflect a popular campaign that involved sending dimes directly to the White House.)

Indeed, the March of Dimes successfully defeated the disease for which it was founded.

"They could have packed up and gone home, but instead they put the energy into a similar issue," Johnston said. The focus is now on the health of babies, including preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Jessica and Craig Dexheimer were at the event because their son William was born 16 weeks early at just 1 pound, 3 ounces. The Maple Grove couple credit the organization for researching a drug treatment that lubricated the preemie's lungs so they don't stick together. "Without March of Dimes, he wouldn't be here today," said Jessica.

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Elizabeth Roosevelt Johnston, member of the national March of Dimes board of trustees and Miaja Cassidy, director of healthcare compliance at Target and chapter board chair.

"He's a vivacious 5-year-old who enjoys baseball, playing with his older brother, Ethan, and dancing to his iPod," said Craig.

The evening raised $102,000 for the research to keep marching forward.

Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177