Because Halloween is all about dressing up and pretending you’re someone else, today is be the perfect day for our first Memoir Monday

GUEST BLOGGER!

Welcome . . . Kerri Sparling!

Check this out.  Seriously.  It’s great.

Dan Michie, Co-Founder of Active Charity and Summer Classic Host, Wins the Bay Area Jefferson Award!

The Jefferson Awards are a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. The awards are presented on two levels: national and local. One of JDRF’s most dedicated supporters, Dan Michie, is a local winner!

Dan is a co-founder of Active Charity, an organization he began with his Chico State buddies, Jason Skeoch, Ryan Ashburn and Rob Nowacek. Since 2005, Active Charity has been focusing on local issues benefiting children. Their primary role has been to act as “feet on the street” in organizing events by finding donors and participants. Their largest event has been the annual JDRF Summer Classic, including this year’s Summer Classic which takes place on August 19 at Wente Vineyards, Livermore (check out www.jdrfbayarea.org/summer).

Congratulations Dan!

It is my pleasure to announce that John L. Lipp will serve as the new Executive Director for JDRF’s Greater Bay Area Chapter.

After an extensive search, we selected John because of his lifetime leadership in the non-profit sector, strong background in fundraising events (including walk and gala programs), major gift solicitation, strategic planning and staff training. He is also an authority on volunteerism. John has written several publications on volunteerism including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Recruiting and Managing Volunteers.

John is presently the CEO of PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), an organization which serves the comprehensive needs of companion animals for senior citizens and low-income individuals with disabling illnesses. During his seven year tenure, John transformed PAWS into a $1 million plus organization, doubling the staff, volunteers and the number of clients served.. Additionally, John successfully oversaw a capital campaign that resulted in a new state of the art facility for the program.
Prior to joining PAWS, John worked as an independent consultant providing training in volunteer development and management, strategic planning and interim executive leadership. Through Compass Point’s Executive Transitions Program, John served as interim Executive Director with a variety of non-profit organizations.

John has an extensive background in volunteer management, including serving as Executive Director for the Volunteer Exchange of Santa Clara County where he worked with with over 600 non-profit and public organizations, as well as leading Bay Area companies such as Cisco, Apple and Intel. He has served as a trainer and keynote speaker on volunteer engagementand. In 2002 he was an invited presenter at the first Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Volunteer Administration in Busan, Korea, and in 2005, he traveled for the U.S. State Department and gave presentations on volunteerism throughout Argentina.

We are looking forward to having John on the team! He will bring a tremendous amount of expertise, knowledge and leadership to the chapter. John will begin his Executive Director position July 1st, the beginning of fiscal year 2012.

Sincerely,

Dean Alms
Executive Board President
JDRF Greater Bay Area

Dear JDRF Supporters,

I’m excited by the pace of activity at JDRF so far this year. There has been a great deal of exciting progress in a number of areas. I was proud to see our capabilities in collaborating with industry to accelerate type 1 diabetes therapies in action last month at the J.P. Morgan Conference. Efforts are now fully underway to refresh the JDRF brand and create a platform for better communicating the value that JDRF provides to the broader type 1 diabetes community. We are moving to a new phase of our pan-organizational effort to double our revenue within the next five years. A couple of weeks ago, we held a two-day retreat for our International Board of Directors. And all that is without mentioning the normal business of raising money and funding exciting research opportunities across the type 1 diabetes landscape. There is a lot going on at JDRF these days, thanks to all of you!

Encouraging Signs from the J.P. Morgan Conference

In my last monthly update, I shared with you that JDRF and multiple sclerosis research funder Fast Forward, LLC would be hosting a symposium leading up to the J.P. Morgan Conference in San Francisco. I mentioned that our own Dr. Karin Hehenberger and Dr. Richard Insel would be participating in the event to increase visibility for our work with industry partners on vaccines that may be able to slow down or stem the autoimmune attack that causes type 1 diabetes. This event proved to be further evidence that JDRF is playing a key role in stimulating industry interest in one of our top research priorities.

The symposium brought together the foremost researchers in the area of antigen-specific vaccines with investors and key executives from the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. When we talk about “translation,” we are talking about the point where science in the laboratory makes the jump to a commercial venture dedicated to the development of a therapy. The symposium organized by JDRF was a vehicle for facilitating this translation. The presentations at the meetings led to subsequent interactions between researchers and companies, as well as between small and big companies, which have now led to plans for industry and investors to further support this critical area. Be sure to check out the next issue of Countdown (available through jdrf.org) for part one of a two-part series on vaccine research!

More broadly, the J.P. Morgan Conference is a “who’s who” event of the health care industry, and I am thrilled to say that there are more drug and device companies interested in type 1 diabetes therapies than ever before. In fact, the team and I spent almost a week meeting with the senior leadership of companies such as J&J, Abbott, Medtronic, Merck, Lilly, and many more. These companies view us as a critical partner because of our ability not only to fund research partnerships, but also to connect them with other promising JDRF-funded research opportunities. What this means is that JDRF has the opportunity to influence company strategies, which further leverages our resources. And for those opportunities which are farther down the development pipeline, JDRF is seen as an indispensible partner that can provide guidance for regulatory and reimbursement issues. Our role in working with industry is to assist at every stage of the research, development, and delivery process. Our success is aligned with industry success when safe, effective, and widely reimbursed therapies are available to patients.

Dialogue with diaTribe

A little while back, I sat down for an interview for a publication called diaTribe, a free online newsletter about research and product news geared toward “people eager to learn more about better managing diabetes for themselves, or perhaps for a loved one.” The interview was a great media forum for me to talk extensively about some of the ways in which JDRF is evolving.

The newsletter’s editor-in-chief, Kelly Close, who has type 1 herself, is a long-time volunteer for JDRF. She currently runs Outreach for the San Francisco Bay Area JDRF, and has been on the Bay Area Board for five years. I urge you to sign up for the newsletter at http://www.diatribe.us/jdrf – it’s a free resource. Once you’re signed up, you can read my interview in the current issue of diaTribe. As an added incentive, diaTribe is also featuring a “lottery,” or giveaway, for a new CGM system. And if 20,000 members sign up for a free subscription, diaTribe’s publisher, Close Concerns, has committed to donating an extra $10,000 to JDRF over and above their usual annual contribution. I am grateful for the diaTribe interview opportunity, because it provided me with a forum for articulating the importance of JDRF to the broader type 1 diabetes community.

Some of you may have already heard that a few of my comments spurred a debate on some message boards and blogs in the type 1 diabetes online community. The majority of the conversations were positive regarding the direction in which JDRF is going. I have shared this direction in various forums since I have joined JDRF. And there were some questions that were raised consistently in the conversations that took place. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has strong reactions to anything that appeared in my interview, or who has a question about what some of my comments mean for the future of JDRF. In my next newsletter, I’m going to pick some of the more provocative comments and/or questions and include my response. So please reach out!

Where Is Your CEO?

RECENT:

Greater Bay Area Chapter

While in the San Francisco area for the J.P. Morgan Conference in early January, Dr. Karin Hehenberger and I attended the annual Research Reception at the home of JDRF volunteer and donor Joanne Kagle. Karin and I had the opportunity to talk about exciting developments at JDRF, specifically around opportunities to work with industry to stimulate interest and accelerate activities around the development of new therapies for type 1 diabetes. The evening was also a chance to talk about the success of the JDRF Scholars Award. Of the dozen investigators who have received this prestigious award, we were lucky to have three of them from the University of California at San Francisco to discuss their transformational work in the area of type 1 diabetes research.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Mania Boyder and I traveled to Washington, D.C. last week, where we met with the CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF), Bob Beall, and his head of Development, Rich Mattingly. I’ve been an admirer of CFF for quite some time. They’ve been a trail blazer, specifically in the area of working with industry. Their pioneering support of industry work on drug therapeutics has been directly responsible for literally adding years to the lives of people living with cystic fibrosis. We resolved that going forward, there was a need and an opportunity for our two innovative disease research foundations to get together occasionally to share best practices and discuss trends in research, advocacy, and fundraising.

UPCOMING:

Funders Meeting

On February 28, JDRF will be participating in what is now referred to as the Funder’s Meeting. Originally organized by the Helmsley Trust, with whom JDRF works closely, the meeting brings together all of the biggest funders in diabetes research, both public and private. The Helmsley Trust’s vision, which I very strongly support, is to enhance opportunities for collaboration between different funders across the type 1 diabetes landscape. Through the regular sharing of information about funding priorities and projects, it is hoped that we will be able to reduce duplication and position our individual efforts to be mutually reinforcing of our common objectives. Other organizations participating in this meeting (aside from JDRF and the Helmsley Charitable Trust) include the American Diabetes Association, the Diabetes Research Institute, Sanford Health, the Brehm Center for Diabetes Research, and the Schulze Family Foundation.

Scientific Advisory Board

Beginning the evening of February 28 and continuing through March 1, JDRF will be holding a meeting of a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). We’ve brought together 12 of the world’s leading researchers for the purposes of critique and feedback on JDRF’s overall scientific strategy and research priorities. We plan to spend a day and a half with these individuals so that they can help us identify unrealized opportunities, and so that we can together explore new research directions and approaches. The recommendations from the SAB will be taken into account as JDRF completes a five-year strategic research roadmap that will focus on accelerating delivery of treatments and driving scientific advances toward a therapeutic solution to cure type 1 diabetes.

Eastern Pennsylvania

On March 8, I’ll be speaking at an event at the home of International Board of Directors member Matthew Cohn.

Government Day

From March 12-15, JDRF volunteer advocates from across the nation will descend on Washington, D.C. for the purpose of communicating the importance of our issues to our nation’s elected representatives. We’ll be thanking Congress for its support of the recently extended Special Diabetes Program – an additional $150 million per year for the next two years for type 1 diabetes research. JDRF advocates will also be urging members of the House and Senate to support our efforts in working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a reasonable regulatory approach to the testing and availability of devices that will enhance the health and safety of people living with type 1 diabetes.

APP Summit

On March 18-19, with the generous support of the Pursell family, we’ll be holding an Artificial Pancreas Project Summit at the five-star Farmlinks Resort at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Alabama.

Dallas Gala

On March 26, I’ll be in my hometown of Dallas to attend the Dallas 2011 Dream Gala. This will be a particularly meaningful event for me personally, as I’ll have my parents attending along with my wife, daughter, and son. Also seated at my table will be my best friend from high school, and his sister, whose young daughter was diagnosed with type 1 just last August.

Spring Fling

The next weekend, I’m going to have the pleasure of attending what has become a very successful event for the Greater Bay Chapter. Now in its 10th year, Spring Fling was founded by Sarah and Don Lucas, and is still strongly supported by them. The event takes place at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay on April 1.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to bring your attention to a cause that is very close to my heart.   I have spent a good deal of time in Africa and other countries around the world that do not have anything close to the medical care we have here in the United States. I hope that you know – and that you’ll let other JDRF constituents know – that unused insulin and supplies can provide vital help for people around the world who have diabetes but not the good fortune of ready access to insulin. Insulin for Life USA is a non-profit organization that collects and distributes in-date, unopened, and unneeded insulin, test strips, and other diabetes supplies that would otherwise go to waste. Insulin for Life then sends those supplies (according to agreed protocols) to recognized organizations, which in turn get the supplies to people in need. I hope you will visit http://insulinforlifeusa.org/ to see how you can help, especially because it could be the difference between life and death for those who are less fortunate. We are pleased to be able to promote this effort in partnership with the Helmsley Charitable Trust, a supporter of Insulin for Life and a strong partner for JDRF in advancing type 1 diabetes research.

Thank you for all you do for JDRF. And please remember to send in those questions for me to answer in my next newsletter.

Until then, take care.

Jeffrey Brewer

Hi, my name is Katie and like you, I’m an adult living with type 1 diabetes.  I was diagnosed in 1977 at the age of two. My oldest daughter, Ellie, was diagnosed with type 1 in 2004 at the age of four. My family has been involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and has been participating in various events for many years.

Through JDRF I found an event that I’m extremely passionate about: The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes. It’s an adventure of a lifetime. Riders from around the world take on two challenges: raising the critical money that funds research that will cure diabetes, and reaching a personal training goal that will prepare them for their cycling experience. The Ride to Cure Diabetes is both physically and emotionally challenging, but it has made a changing impact on my self-confidence and in my diabetes management.

My husband, Steve, and I first joined the Ride to Cure Diabetes in March of 2006. Back then, the list of reasons not to seemed pretty daunting: no bikes, no time, two fulltime jobs, two kids, other priorities…. and really, the last time I had been on a bike I was in college. I wondered how having diabetes would affect my training and performance for an endurance event. But even though I kept thinking about all the reasons not to, I have always lived believing that diabetes cannot hold me back. I wanted to prove that to Ellie, and really, I wanted to prove it to myself.  Walk the walk, as they say. Steve and I signed up together to ride 100 miles, in one day, in Death Valley, California. That was four years and five Rides ago.

Back then, I had become complacent about my diabetes care. Before my first Ride I worked with my  endocrinology team and the JDRF coaches to prepare.  I learned to manage my diabetes when I ride, a skill I can now put to use not only while I am on the bike, but also when I garden, when I’m coaching Little League, or when participating in any of the other activities I enjoy. Because of the Ride, both Steve and I are far healthier now than we were five years ago. After doing all the work of training, raising the money, and riding the 100 miles, the fact that I controlled diabetes during the hardest thing I’ve done in my life was a small personal victory.

I pushed myself further than I ever imagined I could. When I thought I wasn’t going to be able to achieve my goal, I had my teammates right there beside me to keep me going. The hard work and dedication paid off when I crossed that finish line. It is still hard for me to put that feeling into words. It was all worth it to see our daughters take our Ride medals to school as their ‘show and tell,’ to see how proud they are of us for riding our bikes 100 miles to cure type 1. Participating in the Ride was one of the greatest experiences of my life. There is a tremendous feeling of empowerment that comes from being surrounded by 300+ people who are all there to cure type 1 diabetes. Other fundraising events just don’t compare, and there is something about the experience that keeps me going back for more.

The people involved in the Ride are adults living with type 1, parents of children with type 1, and family members and friends of people with type 1— and then there is this other group. This is the part of what makes the Ride so inspiring to me—the people out there giving their time and their fundraising ability to cure Ellie and me when they don’t have a direct connection to diabetes. Together, we’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve supported and encouraged each other. And we’ve celebrated together. All while on our bikes. We have become “cyclists”, and we will be back in Death Valley to ride again this year.

The JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes has shown me a way to take charge of my diabetes—and go beyond. When I train, when I fundraise, and when I ride, I play a part in finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.  I don’t do it alone, either. Friends, family, teammates, and supporters are all with me, focused on ridding the world of diabetes.

What are you doing to bring about a cure? Will you join us?

I invite you to visit the Ride to Cure Diabetes website at ride.jdrf.org. There you can find more information about the Ride and also read testimonials from participants.

There are still spots open at Rides all over the country this year; it’s not too late!  If you have any questions at all, from riding to fundraising, there are coaches and riders, like me, all over the country who can help including a JDRF Bay Area Team Coach. Visit the website to learn more or contact Alison Urmson at 415-597-6309 or aurmson@jdrf.org who can answer your questions about this life-changing experience.

I hope to see you on the road soon.  Note that Death Valley Ride is already at capacity.

Let’s Kick Off the 2010 Walk to Cure Diabetes!

Dear Friends of JDRF,
You are invited to a special Kick Off of the Walk to Cure Diabetes on Wednesday, August 4, 2010, at the Oakland Coliseum.  At the Kick Off, JDRF will provide you with the resources, tools and materials you need to have a successful Walk Team.

In an acknowledgement of its leadership in driving the development of an artificial pancreas, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was asked to co-host a special symposium- “The Artificial Pancreas – A Goal within Reach?”  The symposium displays dramatic progress in automating diabetes control at this weekend’s American Diabetes Association annual Scientific Sessions. The ADA meeting is a key annual gathering for diabetes researchers worldwide, and the joint JDRF-ADA symposium emphasized the partnerships JDRF is forging to bring new treatments and cures to people with type 1 diabetes.

The ADA recognized the importance of promoting JDRF’s research leading to an artificial pancreas, and of raising awareness about the science now underway. ADA noted that artificial pancreas technologies could not only significantly improve the lives of people with type 1 diabetes, but could also have a major impact on those with type 2 who are insulin-dependent.

“This joint symposium highlights how major organizations working together can move these technologies forward,” said Richard Bergenstal, M.D., Executive Director of the International Diabetes Center and the ADA’s President, Medicine & Science. “It’s going
to require collaboration between many different organizations to come together to tackle this problem.”

JDRF was happy to have the opportunity to display the progress of its Artificial Pancreas Project to the larger diabetes research community.

“It’s very exciting to work together to help people with diabetes achieve their outcomes,” said Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., who directs JDRF’s Artificial Pancreas Project. “We’re all interested in people with diabetes achieving better glucose control. The community needs to hear what’s happening and where we are headed.”

At the symposium, funded researchers announced new, previously unpublished findings that demonstrate the potential for the artificial pancreas to improve the lives of people with diabetes. It’s been predicted that artificial pancreas technology could become commercially available within a matter of years.

Initial studies showed that an artificial pancreas system improved overnight glucose control across a range of “real-life situations” in adults – and did so without increasing the risk of dangerous low blood sugar. The findings were presented by Roman Hovorka,
Ph.D., Principal Research Associate at the University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories and key member of JDRF’s Artificial Pancreas Project since the program’s beginnings.

Using an artificial pancreas system overnight, adults participating in the study remained within a target blood glucose range 70 percent of the time. This demonstrates a significant increase when compared to remaining within the target range only 47 percent of the time if not utilizing an artificial pancreas. To demonstrate the real-life benefits of AP technology, the study showed that these benefits remain constant, even after adults ate a large meal and drank a glass of white wine before bedtime. Dangerous low blood sugar – hypoglycemia – was reduced, even though alcohol is known to increase the risk of nighttime hypoglycemia for diabetics.

A second study helped to identify the “psychosocial characteristics” of people with type 1 diabetes, thus showing those most likely to be successful when using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, which are an important component of an artificial pancreas system. This data, presented by Marilyn Ritholz, Ph.D, Senior Psychologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, will help diabetes care providers to identify patients that the new devices are most likely to benefit.

Findings show that people with good problem-solving skills who saw CGM as a way to better understand their diabetes, or had good support from family members were among those most likely to achieve good results with the technology.

A number of other JDRF-related studies and announcements were made in conjunction with the ADA sessions.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) hosted the twelfth annual Bay Area Hope Gala on Saturday evening at The Ritz Carlton, San Francisco to raise funds for diabetes research.  The money raised by the Hope Gala helps JDRF fund research that will lead to cures for millions of children and adults living with diabetes.

Photos from the event can be viewed on the Photographer’s website >

The 2010 Living & Giving Award Recipients

Honorees, Franklin “Pitch” and Cathie Johnson; Hope Gala Co-Chairs Jenny Bolt and Amy Lewis along with the Honorary Co-Chairs Ute and Bill Bowes together with Mavie Mendelson converged to make the evening a record-breaking success.  Bill Draper presented the Living & Giving Award to the Johnsons. More than 400 patrons were in attendance.

Pitch & Cathie Johnson Receive the JDRF Living & Giving Award for 2010

Pioneering Venture Capitalist and the Founder of Asset Management Company Pitch & Cathie Johnson received the 2010 JDRF Living & Giving Award. Each year the Living and Giving Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional support and dedication to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Pitch and Cathie Johnson give true meaning behind the philosophy of living and giving. Together they devote substantial resources and heartfelt energy to a wide variety of charitable organizations in the Bay Area, including JDRF. Mr. Johnson is the founder of Asset Management Company, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has played an integral role in funding life science companies that engage in crucial research and development central to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes.

The Living & Giving Award is a glass sculpture created by artist, James Minson.  It is the signature piece of the Hope Gala.

The Tribute Video

Guests

Notable guests and also presenters included Honorary Co-Chairs Ute & Bill Bowes, Kevin Sharer, Amgen Chairman of the Board, CEO and President and JDRF President and CEO, Alan Lewis.   Past honorees in attendance Saturday included Pamela & Stephen Mittel, Dr. Michael German, Robert Klein, John & Nancy Lasseter, Charles & Ann Johnson, Dr. Saleh Adi and Dr. Bruce Buckingham.

Stephen and Pamela Mittel

Guest began the picture perfect spring evening with cocktails and silent auctions including a barrel room dedicated to the fine wine sales.  The barrel room was also the site of a special vintner reception.  Later, several Bay Area wineries as part of Hope Gala Vintner Program poured their wines during the multi-course dinner at sponsored tables.

Live Auction

The Emcee for the evening was Co-Anchor, CBS 5 Eyewitness News Dana King.  The live auction proved very exciting conducted by Randy Parnell.  Guests competed for exotic trips to destinations including New York City and Hawaii; an entertainment package to American Idol Season 9 Finale had guests clambering to win   One lucky winner will soon enjoy a traditional Egyptian dinner for eight in the Los Angeles home of the Consul General of Egypt.   The winner of the

Jenny Bolt and Janice Dickenson

Hooray For Hollywood package will be welcomed to LA by the original supermodel Janice Dickinson with a makeover, lunch and photo shoot.  Next up, tickets to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and also The Ellen DeGeneres Show.  The winner will also have the chance to produce a song with two-time

Dana King and Clay Williams

Grammy award-winning producer Bob Cutarella.  The package includes a song written for the highest bidder, time in the studio and a finished single!  Special thanks to John Lasseter whose contribution of one line in the script of the upcoming animated film, Cars 2 brought the house down.

Just as desert was to be served, Pitch Johnson was presented with – and quite surprised by a birthday cake while the room of 400 sang the

Franklin Pitcher Johnson

traditional birthday cheer.  Pitch celebrated more than one milestone this evening.

Life with Diabetes

Gala patrons were introduced to two Bay Area families living with type 1 diabetes through video.  Both families know the daily struggles of diabetes; both families support the Hope Gala but in different ways and the Parker and Pasha families along with every family and individual living type 1 diabetes will benefit from the research the Hope Gala funding provides.

Meet Savannah Pasha and her family.

Meet Cameron Parker and his family.

Fund A Cure

In her remarks, Melanie Bradley, sister of Co-Chair Amy Lewis, spoke personally of living with diabetes since childhood and her wish for the future seemed to inspire the bidding during the evening’s finale, Fund A Cure — an auction in which donations are made directly to fund diabetes research.

Alan Lewis, Judith Lewis, John Lasseter, Nancy Lasseter, Pitch Johnson and Cathie Johnson

After dinner, guests enjoyed port poured by Cellar360 while the Big Bang Beat kept the party dancing past midnight.

Chad & Amy Lewis and Judith & Alan Lewis

The Hope Gala raises funds to find cures for type 1 diabetes and its complications.  Nearly 24 million Americans live with diabetes and its complications.  It is a disease that kills one American every three minutes.  The cost of diabetes in the US exceeds $174 billion annually.  As many as 3 million Americans live with type 1 diabetes including 75,000 people living in the Bay Area. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children and adults suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.

Special Thanks

JDRF extends special thanks Hope Gala 2010 Co-Chairs, Jenny Bolt and Amy Lewis and also to the Hope Gala Committee including Alisa Bekins, Grazia Bennett, Mara Bonelli, Laura Cavanaugh, Lori Escobar, Shelly Jensen, Pammy Mittel, Breda Murphy, Diana Nelson, Teresa Olsen, Lynn Pieper,

Nancy and John Lasseter

Kristen Stimpert and Beth Weesner.

JDRF expresses its heartfelt thanks to the 2010 Hope Gala Sponsors:  Amgen, Asset Management Company, JPMorgan Chase, BNY Mellon, Jenny Bolt, Barbara & William Edwards, Franklin Templeton Investments, Charles & Ann Johnson, PepsiCo., Abbott Diabetes Care, Barclays Capital Inc., Kadima Foundation, Greg & Tracy Johnson,  KPMG LLP, Steve & Marilyn Kraft, Morgan Stanley, Tom Parker & Michelle Griffin, Peer Music, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, Affiliated Computer Services Inc., Alloy Ventures, The Conifer Group, LLC, diaTribe/Close Concerns, Inc., Jennifer & Sean Jeffries, Karen & Jeff Jordan, , John & Nancy Lasseter, Rebecca & Christopher Lien, Meredith & Dan Meade, Karen & Joe Niehaus, George & Elyse Pasha and Meredith and Dan Meade.

With gratitude, JDRF acknowledges these silent auction donors: ABC7-KGOTV, Adriana Cox, Anatoly Lemenov Message Therapy, Anchor Brewing Co., Angel Island Ferry, Arrowood Vineyards & Winery, Artesa Vineyards and Winery, ArtVisions Portraiture, Balloons Above the Valley, Bardessono Napa Valley, Bird School of Music, Blankiet Estate, Bloomingdale’s, Blue & Gold Fleet, Bobbi Brown

Janice Dickenson, Morgan Bulloch

Cosmetics, Jenny Bolt, Bottlenotes, Carol Brown, Burke Williams, Beyond the Spa, Calistoga Ranch, The Caprice Restaurant, Carmen Policy, Castello di Amorosa Winery, Cellar360, Christopher Salon, Citrus Boutique, Cliff Lede Vineyards, Cline Cellars, Marie Cochran, Mary Cooper Harkin, Cottage Grove Inn, Crown & Crumpet, An English Tea Salon,The Dailey Method – Jill McIntosh, Demo Sports Bicycle, Rental, Duckhorn Vineyards, Dutch Henry Winery, Felix the Cook, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery, Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto, Frazier Family Estate, Friends of JDRF’s Toast for a Cure, Gary Danko, Gloria Ferrer, Guaymas Authentic Mexican Cuisine, Handlery Union Square Hotel, Peter Haubold, The InterContinental Hotel Monterey The Clement, Pitch and Cathie Johnson, The Kleid Group, Kunde Estate Winery, Lasseter Family Winery, The Lodge at Tiburon, Meadowood Napa Valley MedEsthetics Rx, Joseph Melone at Groove Salon, Meredith and Dan Meade, Milvali Salon, Mina Group, Nalle, Paradise Hamburgers & Ice Cream, PlumpJack, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Prima Palate, Quail, Lodge Resort & Golf Club, Quince, Robert Mondavi Winery, Robert Young Estate Winery, Round Pond, The Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, Sally Shaps Pilates, Sam’s Anchor Café, SarahSofia, Servino Ristorante, Silvestri Vineyards, The Slanted Door, Dr. Igor Sklovskiy, Southwest Airlines, Alex

Craig, Anne and Cameron Taylor

G. Spanos Family, St. George Spirits, The St. Regis Atlanta, Stanford Athletics department, Thomas Fogarty Winery, Trentadue Winery – Leo and Evelyn Trentadue, URTH SKIN SOLUTIONS FOR

Jennifer and Ken Kroner

MEN, Vivian, Bella Nails, W Seattle Hotel, Barbara Waxman, Founder of the Odyssey Group, Kimberly Welch, Whitehall Lane Winery & Vineyard, WineDoctors, Jamie Wolff and  y & i Clothing Boutique.  2010 Hope Gala Vintner Program: .Azur Wines, Blankiet Estate, Chateau Boswell, Dutch Henry Winery, Frazier Family Estate, Gloria Ferrer, HUNNICUTT, Lasseter Family Winery, Nalle, Outpost, Patz & Hall, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery, Robert Young Estate Winery, Round Pond Estate, Silvestri Vineyards, Thomas Fogarty Winery, Trentadue Winery, Truchard Vineyards and WineDoctors.

Thank you to the individuals and companies for their generous gifts of time, talent, in-kind services and funding: Big Bang Beat, Rob Budinger, Matt Dunn, Tarah S. Evans, , Michelle Griffin, Shelly Jensen, Dimitri Kielbasiewicz, Julia & Bob Iantosca, Angela Lagos, Rebecca Lien, Chris Lien, Katy McCauley, Mia McKee, Margaret Lum, Daphne Melendez, James Minson, Mika Miranda, Betsy Musick, Alexandra Nicandri, Jenny Randall, Kathi Rawnsley, Nancy Riley, Amy Schoew, Kristine Scott, Jim Spadoni, Meg Starr, Jeff Stokes and The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

About JDRF

JDRF is a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Through the on-going generosity of  Hope Gala patrons and supporters, JDRF provided nearly $101 million to diabetes research in 2009, bringing the JDRF cumulative total of research funding to more than $1.4 billion since its founding in 1970.  The Foundation funds more than 1,000 centers, grants and fellowships in 22 countries throughout the world, including more than 40 human clinical trials.

Betty Burnham and friend

Here at JDRF, the many volunteers aligned to  support JDRF Bay Area bring great benefits to our organization.  Without our dedicated volunteers, the ability to support JDRF’s mission would certainly be limited.  Our sincere thanks to all the JDRF volunteers from those who help in the JDRF Bay Area office every day to those that help to make our events successful to the volunteers who lead our boards of directors.

During this special week and every week, JDRF salutes the volunteers for all they do to advance the mission of JDRF.

Not yet a JDRF volunteer?  Many opportunities await you in the JDRF organization.  If you are interested in volunteering, just let me know.

About National Volunteer Week

The need for volunteers to address pressing social issues is growing, putting enormous pressure on volunteer organizations across the country. It is crucial that the available volunteer force continues to grow and that its members are properly placed, trained, managed and recognized. National Volunteer Week recognizes the contributions to society made by millions of volunteers nationwide, and promotes the spirit of volunteering among the general public.

President Barack Obama called on Americans to volunteer for service projects across the nation and pledge to make volunteering their time part of their daily lives.

National Volunteer Week was established by an executive order signed by former President Richard Nixon in 1974.

The Obama administration launched the United We Serve initiative to encourage volunteering. He also signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which expands and updates programs at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Obama said in a statement this week that volunteering is a unique way to bring Americans together.

“Whether through the workplace or a house of worship, in our own neighborhoods or in another state or country, service binds us together as Americans in a way nothing else can. It defines us as a people, and it is essential to achieving our national priorities,” he said.

Obama said volunteering also helps communities tackle uniquely local concerns.

Join the Bay Area type 1 diabetes community on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 for a tailgate party and SF Giants game at AT&T Park! 5 p.m. party; 7:15 p.m. game vs the Baltimore Orioles.

Join families from the type 1 diabetes community at AT&T Park for a tailgate BBQ with kids activities and entertainment or…

Join type 1 adults for a pre-game happy hour at the stadium (significant other or another guest welcome).

Both events followed by group seating as we watch the San Francisco Giants take on the Baltimore Orioles!

Family Tailgate * 5:00 p.m.
Adult Type 1 Happy Hour * 6:00 p.m.
Game Begins * 7:15 p.m.

$15 per person. Family Tailgate includes game ticket, BBQ dinner and kids activities; Happy Hour includes game ticket and $10 credit for beverages or refreshments at AT&T Park.

A diabetes service & product vendor fair will be open to all attendees in the AT&T lot at 5 p.m.

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!  For more information, contact Carolyn Eisen, Outreach Manager, at ceisen@jdrf.org or (415) 597-6317