The Watts family had a special reason to participate in the recent Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk held on Saturday, November 3rd at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their son, David Watts was diagnosed with diabetes at 10. Both of his parents Stan and Karen are pharmacists and fortunately recognized the signs of juvenile diabetes right away.

“The clincher was when he went to a birthday party one Sunday and filled himself up with junk,” said his mother, Karen Watts. “The next night he told us he had lost five pounds in a day. Stan and I looked at each other and knew we needed to have his blood sugar checked.”

The Watts family participated in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk with lots of support. Team David had 43 members, friends and family to join them for the day. Funds raised help raise awareness about the disease and help to find a cure for diabetes. Team David raised more than $6,000. The walk raised $561,700 overall.

“The walk is so important because not only are we raising funds for diabetes research, it also allows individuals who live with diabetes daily, to see over 1,500-plus walk participants supporting them and helping them fund a cure for their disease,” Andrea Hulke, national manager for Outreach for the foundation’s Piedmont Triad chapter said.

Source: journalnow.com

On Saturday, October 6th, the 5th Annual Dancing Through Downtown Walk to raise funds for diabetes was held in Corpus Christi, Texas. The walk is run by the American Diabetes Association. Participants walked through the downtown area. Approximately 3,000 people walked, ran or rode their bicycles for the event. The event helped to raise $150,000 for diabetes research.

Over 40,000 people in Nueces County have been diagnosed with diabetes. “About a third more are undiagnosed,” Janie Bell from the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association said. “And it’s the mismanaged complications of the disease that make us the highest Texas region with lower-limb amputations.”

The walk had fundraising teams and individuals doing fundraising. Team Vishal was the top fundraising team. Team Vishal raised $14,000 and had more than 100 walkers. They walked to honor Vishal Bhagat, a 25-year-old man who died in a drowing accident in Lake Corpus Christi in August of 2006. Bhagat had diabetes.

The top individual fundraiser was Norby Almaraz, who raised $3,055. He was a member of the Citgo’s team. His fundraising included company matching funds. This walk was the largest Dancing Through Downtown Walk held so far.

Source: caller.com

Corine Turner and her best friend Linda Davis went for a walk on the morning of September 11, 2006. They were killed by a hit-and-run driver that was later caught and is now serving a prison term.

Turner’s daughter, Carrie Turner-Utz wanted to create something to honor their memory. She created the Corine & Linda’s Walk for Life. The walk is a two-mile fundraising walk to benefit the San Lucy Diabetes Prevention Program. The walk was held Saturday, September 15th in Gila Bend, Arizona.

“My mom was the diabetes prevention coordinator at the San Lucy reservation for about five years,” Turner-Utz said. “She loved the work. She did grant writing. She made home visits. She was very committed to helping the people there, and we felt that organizing a walk that would benefit them would be the best thing for us to do for her and for Linda.”

Source: The Arizona Republic

Former pro football star Jay Leeuwenburg achieved his dreams after developing juvenile diabetes at the age of 12. He will be the guest speaker and do book signings at this year’s Watermelon Stampede event. This year’s event will be held Friday and Saturday, August 17th and 18th. Read more… »