by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
The search for a cure for diabetes got an over $1 million boost from the North Florida Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) last year and the organization is getting ready for this year’s fundraising events.
The JDRF was founded in 1970 by a group of parents of children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Its goal is to raise money for research and outreach for type 1 diabetes. JDRF has awarded more than $1.3 billion to diabetes research, including more than $156 million in the 2008 fiscal year. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease also known as juvenile diabetes and type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder also known as adult onset diabetes.
The North Florida Chapter was founded in 1984 and the foundation topped the $1 million mark for the first time in 2008.
“It was great to see the foundation reach the $1 million mark last year,” said Becky Gray, a member of JDRF’s board of directors. “The events have grown each year and are a great way for families with children diagnosed with diabetes to network and share experiences.”
The foundation hosts two fundraising events a year — “Walk to Cure Diabetes” in the spring and “Miracles in the Moonlight Gala” in the fall. The 2009 “Walk to Cure Diabetes” is quickly climbing up the calendar, set for March 7 at Metropolitan Park.
The event attracted Gray to volunteer with the foundation because her now 9 year-old son, Rush, has type 1 diabetes.
“It’s a wonderful thing for families and children to come out and meet other people who are in their situation,” said Gray. “Children may be the only ones in their class with diabetes and feel singled out, but they come to this event and meet people who are going through the same experiences. The kids are amazed at the response with so people helping to raise funds. My son told me, ‘Wow these people are helping me and they don’t even know me.’”
The foundation hopes to meet or exceed the mark of $440,000 raised by about 1,500 walkers at least year’s event.
“It’s not hard to fundraise. Most of the time people want to help, they just don’t know how,” said Gray. “It’s not too late to participate in this year’s walk.”
The “Miracle in the Moonlight Gala” is the second fundraising event of the year for the foundation. The seventh annual event raised about $313,000 Sept. 22, 2008 at the Hyatt. Guests placed their bids on live and silent auction items with a trip for two to the Mercedes Benz Championship in Maui, Hawaii, donated by the PGA Tour, as the top dollar prize of the evening. It was sold for $14,000 to a lucky bidder.
These events and outreach can’t take place without a board of directors consisting of about 31 directors, hundreds of volunteers and a JDRF staff of three, Executive Director Brooks Biagini, Special Events Coordinator Wendy Smith and Office Manager Pam Williams. Both Smith and Williams have children with diabetes and were volunteers with JDRF before working for the foundation.
The staff directs the outreach programs, which include the “Bag of Hope” and connecting families of newly diagnosed children with other families who have a child with diabetes.
“We partner with Nemours Children’s Clinic to provide each child diagnosed with type 1 diabetes with a Bag of Hope,” said Biagini. “It includes a lot of educational materials for the kids to give them information on life with diabetes. There is a teddy bear with patches so they can practice giving themselves an insulin shot and books and materials detailing the choices they should make as a child with diabetes.”
The staff is also available for speaking engagements to talk to groups about diabetes.
To find out about events, Contact JDRF at 739-2101 or www.jdrf.org/northflorida
356-2466