WALK FOR RESEARCH
JDRF fundraiser set for Oct. 14 at race course
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Although the thoroughbreds and avid racing fans have long since departed the Spa City, dollars will once again flow at the Saratoga Race Course Saturday, Oct. 14 when JDRF (formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) hosts its annual One Walk Saratoga fundraiser.
One Walk Saratoga is a familyfriendly event where hundreds of walkers, volunteers and sponsors raise more than $150,000 to help fund type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. The event, organized by JDRF volunteers, draws dozens of teams representing local businesses, families, schools and other organizations. Participants can register at walk.jdrf.org/Saratoga/
“Whether you know someone affected by T1D or just want to make a difference, One Walk Saratoga is a great activity for families and friends to gather for a day of inspiration and fun in support of T1D research,” said Danielle Unser Slater, development manager, JDRF Northeastern New York. “This research leads to lifechanging drugs, treatments and devices, many of which have already moved into clinical trials and real-world testing.
“Capital Region residents living with T1D have benefited firsthand from this event. Many are now wearing the first commercially available artificial pancreas systems in the U.S., the Medtronic 670G, thanks to JDRF’s research monies,” she added. “JDRF invested $110 million over 10 years to support the Medtronic 670G’s development and worked closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to facilitate the system’s approval in a third of the time it usually takes.”
T1D is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone essential to turning food into energy. T1D strikes both children and adults at any age and is unrelated to diet and lifestyle. It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of complications.
According to JDRF, 1.25 million Americans are living with T1D, including about 200,000 youth (less than 20 years old) and more than 1 million adults (20 years old and older). Forty thousand people are diagnosed each year in the U.S. and five million Americans are expected to have T1D by 2050, including 600,000 youth.
One Walk Saratoga will be held rain or shine. Participants must pre-register to take part in the event. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. with day-of-event registration and fun family activities. The walk steps off at 11 a.m. Participants are asked to enter through Gate B/ Main Auto Gate on the corner of East Avenue and Union Avenue. Park in the trackside parking lot off Union Avenue by Gate B.
For more information, contact Unser Slater at (518) 477-2873.