Emily Young
EAST LANSING, Mich.- Saturday, August 6, 2005, East Lansing will be hosting the Walk to Cure Diabetes. This is the first ever walk the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has held in the Lansing area.
JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes will be held at the Ralph Young Field right in the heart of Michigan State University, near the Spartan Stadium.
Registration for the walk will kick off the festivities from 10-11 a.m. the morning of the 6th. The opening ceremony runs from 11:00-11:15 a.m., followed by a 1.5 mile walk through Michigan State's campus. The afternoon will be concluded with a light lunch and closing ceremony wrapping up shortly after 1:00 p.m.
This year's honorary walk chairman will be none other than MSU's head football coach, John L. Smith.
There is no registration fee required to participate in the event. However, participants are encouraged to make any donations towards the JDRF fund.
The afternoon will be made up of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. There will be musical entertainment, face painters, clowns, mascots, balloons, and an inflatable moonwalk. There will be giveaways throughout the afternoon from Toys R Us and Playmakers as well as food provided by Fazoli's.
The Co-chairperson of this year's walk, former judge Tom Brennan, Jr., has two sons attending MSU, Tom III and Patrick, who have both been diagnosed with Type I diabetes.
"As a parent with children who have Type I Diabetes, you can get angry, get depressed, or get busy. Fortunately, our cure is only a few steps away. If we walk together and help raise money, we will be able to end diabetes forever," said Brennan.
Diabetes is a chronic and deadly disease affecting nearly every organ system. Children and adults with Type 1 diabetes face a lifetime of blood tests, restrictive diets, and multiple daily injections of insulin in order to survive.
According to JDRF more than 1.3 Americans have Type 1 Diabetes. Each year over 13,000 children are diagnosed with Diabetes each year. That's 35 children each and every day!
Since it was founded in 1970 JDRF has raised over $800 million. More than 80 cents of every dollar directly supports research and research- related education.
For more information and to register for the Walk to Cure Diabetes, visit http://www.jdrf.org or call JDRF at (248) 355-1133 to receive a walk brochure.