It’s September 9th. Have you registered yet for the 2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes? Do you need motivation to get up, turn on your compute and then guide your browser to walk.jdrf.org to register for the Walk to Cure Diabetes? Looking for a new reason to help JDRF fund diabetes research that will ultimately lead to a cure?
You have no doubt heard that right now a better quality of life for all, and a cure, are within reach in our lifetime. The revenue raised through the Walk to Cure Diabetes is a critical part of JDRF annual research funding. JDRF needs you to join the Walk to Cure Diabetes to make a real difference in the lives of those living with diabetes. You understand that diabetes affects nearly 24 million people in the U.S. and 285 million people worldwide. As many as 3 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, the most severe form of the disease. Diabetes and its complications cost more than $174 billion dollars a year in the U.S. alone. You’ve been told that in 2009, JDRF more than 80% of expenditures support research and research education. We’ve all learned that JDRF provided over $101 million to diabetes research in 2009, bringing the cumulative total of research funding to more than $1.4 billion since JDRF’s founding in 1970. JDRF funded research projects in 22 countries throughout the world, including more than 40 human clinical trials.
Here are four new reasons to inspire you to Walk to Cure Diabetes.
1. There are 4 great Bay Area Walk venues and 2 venues are new.
- Sunday, October 3rd at California’s Great America in Santa Clara [NEW!]. Everyone that raises $100 or more will receive free park admission on Sunday, October 3rd only.
- Sunday, October 17th at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove. Dress up in Halloween costumes to say Boo to Diabetes.
- Saturday, October 23rd at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco [NEW!]. Walking across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge is not just for tourists.
- Sunday, October 24th at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek. An old favorite in the East Bay and the largest Bay Area walk venue.
2. Improve your business connections. Expand your Rolodex. Consider the company you keep. Then consider the companies that support the JDRF Bay Area Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Our global partner is Ford Motor Company and our national partners include, Advance Auto Parts, Marshalls, Delta, Walgreen’s and Old Orchard Healthy Balance. Our local sponsors are Abbott Diabetes Care, Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMPS), Wells Fargo, Franklin Templeton, USS-POSCO Industries, Silvestri Vineyards, Bank of America, O’Melveny & Myers, XL Group, Welton Investments, Barclay’s Capital, Sequoia Healthcare District, AC3, Salinas Valley Memorial, Fireman’s Fund Insurance, Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, CSP Technologies, Inc., RH Framing Harrod Brothers, Peer Music, Draeger’s, Pacific Service Credit Union, Chiquita Brands International, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Palo Alto Medical Foundation, PMI Group, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Comerica, Sybase, Earthbound Farms, Sangamo BioSciences, Reel Grobman, RR Donnelly Global Turnkey Solutions, Thelen, Chang & Nguyen, Bonelli Enterprises, Allstate Insurance, Computer Works, Carpet One, Symantec, Nativdad Medical Foundation , Chapman and Cutler, Oakland Athletics, Downtown Dining, Conklin Brothers, FishNet Security, Mangold Properties, KPMG, Sidley Austin LLP and Andrews Kurth LLP.
3. Make new friends.
More than 6,000 men, women and children are expected at the four Bay Area Walk venues. That’s 6,000 people connected to the cause; forming a community and together helping to cure diabetes. Of course, everyone is also walking, eating, listening to music, laughing, playing games, visiting community support groups and celebrating their collective success.
4. Think locally.
JDRF currently funds more than 20 unique research projects at UCSF and Stanford University.
If this convinced you, then register today. Hurry! The first Bay Area Walk in Silicon Valley is only four weeks off; the second walk in Monterey Bay is just six weeks away and the final walks in San Francisco and the East Bay are eight weeks from this weekend.
If this is just not your year to walk, there are several ways you can help and be part of the cure.
How you can help
- Donate to a friend, a family member or a co-worker who is registered and raising funds for this year’s walk. Your donation is tax deductible.
- Increase awareness in your community by distributing posters and/or brochure stands in highly visible places. We’ll send you the materials for free, just tell us what you want and where to send them.
- Volunteer on Walk Day. We always need volunteers to help with set up, provide directions, serve food and drink, clean up, work registration, distribute t-shirts, assist with accounting and lots more.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist to display a Walk to Cure Diabetes poster or brochure stand in his/her waiting room.
Be part of the community. Get involved and help cure diabetes. Don’t miss the fun of Walk to Cure Diabetes. For more information, visit our website, or send Katy Coe an e-mail or give her a call, 415.597.6318.
