March of Dimes Names Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell as Celebrity Spokesperson for 2004 National Ambassador Program

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., October 16, 2003 – Nancy O'Dell, award winning co-anchor of NBC's Access Hollywood and host of the USA network reality series, Nashville Star, will serve as celebrity spokesperson for the 2004 National Ambassador Program, the March of Dimes announced today.  In her new role, O'Dell will work with five-year-old Amanda Reeves, of Greenville, S.C., who was born 14 weeks prematurely.

"I am looking forward to working with the March of Dimes and the Reeves family to help spread the word about the growing problem of premature birth and what we can do to find the causes and prevent it,"  O'Dell said.  "Amanda and I are both from South Carolina, so we expect to have a lot of fun together."

In January 2003, the March of Dimes launched a five-year, $75 million campaign to raise public awareness about prematurity, educate women to the signs and symptoms of premature birth, raise funds to conduct needed research, and reduce the rate of premature birth by 15 percent by 2007. The total national hospital bill for premature babies was estimated at $11.9 billion in 2000, according to a recent March of Dimes analysis.

"Premature birth has become the most common, serious and growing problem affecting infants in this country," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes.  "Nancy has been a dedicated volunteer for the March of Dimes and a significant voice in the fight to ensure a healthy birth for every baby."

In addition to her work at Access Hollywood, O'Dell contributes reports to NBC News' Today Show and Dateline and, since March 2003, she has hosted Nashville Star, a nationwide search for the next great country music artist for the USA Network. 

O'Dell was part of the on-air team that launched Access Hollywood in 1996, serving as weekend co-anchor and weekday correspondent until becoming a co-anchor in January 1999. O'Dell has since earned the reputation as one of Hollywood's leading entertainment journalists and was named as one of Electronic Media's “10 Most Bankable Stars in Syndication” and also ranked as one of the "20 Hottest Stars Right Now" by Shape magazine. 

Beyond covering events such as The Oscars, The Emmys, and The Golden Globe Awards, she has hosted the national Golden Globes Arrivals Show the past three years with Dick Clark for NBC, and The Emmys Pre-Show for Fox in 1999 and for ABC in 2000. In 2002, she co-hosted NBC's Emmys Post-Show.  In addition, she has co-hosted NBC's network coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade the past four years with Today Show weatherman Al Roker.  Additionally, O'Dell co-hosted the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

An award-winning journalist, O'Dell has been honored with three Associated Press Awards, two Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Awards, and is a four-time Emmy Award nominee. In addition, she was nominated two years in a row (1999 and 2000) for the prestigious Publicist Guild of America's Press Award, recognizing excellence in entertainment reporting.

O'Dell began her broadcast career as a reporter and anchor at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, S.C. She later worked as morning news anchor and crime reporter at WCBD-TV in Charleston, S.C.  Before joining Access Hollywood, she served as co-anchor and investigative reporter for NBC's Miami station, WTVJ-TV.  A native of South Carolina, O'Dell was inducted into that state's Hall of Fame in 1998 as the youngest member ever in recognition of her journalistic success. O'Dell is a summa cum laude honors graduate of Clemson University.

Amanda Reeves: 2004 March of Dimes National Ambassador
Amanda Reeves, 5, of Greenville, S.C. was born 14 weeks early, and weighing just 1 lb., 7 oz. She was immediately transferred to the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where she remained for the next 84 days as her parents watched and waited. She was so tiny that her dad, Bill, could slip his wedding ring over her hand to her shoulder.  Almost three months later, Amanda left the NICU to a happy homecoming. Today, her mom, Michele, wears that ring as a constant reminder of the struggle that Amanda, and more than 460,000 babies born too soon each year face just to survive.  Now, the five-year-old has been named 2004 National Ambassador for the March of Dimes.  The Reeves credit the March of Dimes with helping to save Amanda's life, and they are eager to begin their service as the 2004 National Ambassador Family.