Charleston JDRF walks to create a world without Type 1 Diabetes
More than 1,000 walkers representing businesses, families, schools and other organizations are expected to participate in the seventh annual JDRF Charleston One Walk on Sunday, March 6 at Smythe Park on Daniel Island. Organizers have set a fundraising goal of $143,000 to outpace the $136,000 raised last year. All proceeds go to JDRF, the leading global organization with a strategic plan to create a world without Type 1 Diabetes (T1D).
“We are extremely excited to be in our seventh year in Charleston, walking toward a cure and other technological advances and therapies that make living with T1D possible,” said Paige Kuehmeier of JDRF, chair of the Charleston JDRF One Walk and a T1D parent herself. “T1D is a disease that affects as many as 3 million Americans, many right here in the Lowcountry. We want the Charleston JDRF One Walk to be a day of hope and celebration for the T1D community, especially our family teams who bear the weight of managing this disease each and every day.”
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone needed to get energy from food. There is no way to prevent it, and at present, no cure. It strikes both children and adults at any age and suddenly. Life with T1D is a constant balancing act. People with T1D must regularly monitor their blood sugar level and need injected or infused insulin to stay alive.
Each year, JDRF funds millions of dollars in life changing research, nearly $100 million just last year. Every dollar raised from the over 200 JDRF One Walks all across the United States is directed towards research that has led to recent breakthroughs such as artificial pancreas systems and encapsulated beta cell therapies, both of which have moved into clinical trials.
“The involvement of the community here in Charleston is tremendous and grows each year. Our local schools participate, our businesses are generous with their time and donations, and we are fortunate to have the support of Student Transportation of America, our presenting sponsor, for the second year in a row,” noted Kuehmeier. “Their contributions help us to direct even more dollars to research for curing, treating and preventing T1D.”
The Charleston Walk is expected to draw an enthusiastic crowd driven to support a great cause while enjoying an event that includes fun, free activities for all ages and includes bounce houses, face painting, balloon art, laser tag and pony rides. The entire walk is 1.2 miles around Smythe Park and the surrounding neighborhood and begins at 1 p.m. Registration is still ongoing. More information on the Walk can be found at www.facebook.com/charleston.jdrf.walk.
To learn more about how you can contribute to the Charleston JDRF One Walk, please contact Paige Kuehmeier at (843) 327-8007 or pkuehmeier@jdrf.org.