On a beautiful morning at Elitch Gardens on Sunday, Sept. 16, more than 4,000 walkers representing local corporations, families, schools and other organizations participated in the Rocky Mountain Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) annual Walk to Cure Diabetes. Over $800,000 has been raised for the Walk, with additional donations continuing to come in, in hopes of reaching the chapter's goal of $1,000,000 for research to find a cure for diabetes and its complications.
Entire families from kids to grandparents enjoyed participating in this year's Walk to Cure Diabetes and all of the entertainment and activities that were available: "Lost in Face" face painting, The Reptile Guy, Noah and Zan, Caricatures from Caricature Art Inc., massages, a Children's Tent, and more! It was the thrill of a lifetime for those who got to meet members of the 501st Legion, Mountain Garrison - a host of Star Wars characters including Stormtroopers and Darth Vader. And Jay Leeuwenburg, JDRF Celebrity Chair and former CU and NFL standout, made a moving speech about his own journey with Type 1 diabetes, and was on hand to meet walkers and sign autographs.
"We are immensely appreciative of Mike Simpson, Walgreens District Manager of the Mountain South District participation," said Peter Gottlieb, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Medicine for the Barbara Davis Center and the JDRF Board President. "This is corporate citizenship at its best. The commitment of Mike Simpson, Walgreens and the many local and national companies that have made a commitment to this year's Walk, enables us to accelerate research to find a cure for diabetes.
Insulin is life support, not a cure, and research is the only answer for the as many as 3 million Americans suffering from type 1 diabetes and its complications." Local JDRF Walk Sponsors include: Walgreens, Gasamat, KFC, Goodtimes Burgers & Frozen Custard, United Healthcare, King Soopers, Pepsi, 1st Bank, Trimble, Boral, Great West Life, Roche Colorado, Wagner Equipment Co., Kaiser Permanente, Old Orchard, Wells Fargo, Staples, FOX 31 News, Smooth Jazz 104.3, KS 107.5, The Fan, and the Denver Newspaper Agency.
Actor Kevin Kline is National Chair of JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes. Mr. Kline has been celebrity advocate for JDRF for the past four years.
"Those of us who are blessed with good health must do all we can to help support the research community in their search for a cure for juvenile diabetes," said Kevin Kline. "The daily regimen of finger pricks and injections of insulin, combined with the constant dread of complications, are burdens that no child should have to suffer with."
JDRF Walks are held in more than 200 cities worldwide. Nationally, nearly 500,000 people walked to cure diabetes last year and raised $81 million.
JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes Corporate Partners are: Advance Auto Parts, Ford Motor Company, Marshalls, Turner and Walgreens. Unite to Cure Diabetes partners are: Delta Air Lines, and Medtronic MiniMed.
JDRF, the leading charitable funder and advocate of type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research worldwide, was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with juvenile diabetes - a disease which strikes children suddenly, makes them insulin-dependent for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Since inception, JDRF has provided more than $1 billion in direct funding to diabetes research. More than 80 percent of JDRF's expenditures directly support research and research-related education. JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. For more information call (303-779-0525).
Who Has Diabetes?
Diabetes kills one American every three minutes. 18.2 million Americans have the disease; of these 5.2 million remain undiagnosed. Diabetes afflicts 194 million people worldwide, and the World Health Organization estimates that number will more than double by 2030. A new case of diabetes is diagnosed every 30 seconds.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. JDRF gives more money directly to diabetes research than any other private agency in the world. JDRF is proud to say that over 80% of the money raised by JDRF goes straight to research and education about research. In each of the last few years, JDRF has received high praise from a number of independent sources on charitable giving, including the The Wall Street Journal, SmartMoney Magazine, Forbes Magazine, The Nonprofit Times, the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator.
For more information, please contact the JDRF office by calling 303-779-0525
