Team Preston – JDRF One Walk Champions
Team Preston became involved with JDRF 4 years ago when Preston, my oldest son, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at just 4 years old. It is hard to believe that he has now lived with T1D for half of his life. T1D has become our family’s new normal and since the first day we have made a commitment to never let it stop him from anything! JDRF is helping make this possible by continuously funding new research, which I believe will one day soon lead to a cure, to name a few, Artificial Pancreas, Encapsulation, Smart Insulin, Complications and Prevention.
Shortly after Preston was diagnosed we were on a mission to help find ways to better treat and ultimately find a cure for T1D, and the JDRF One Walk was the perfect opportunity for us. This year will be our 4th JDRF One Walk to participate. Every year we watch new technology and medical devices go into human clinical trials and we become more and more motivated to fundraise! Every dollar helps in getting us closer to turning type one into type none!
Each year we try to get creative with our fundraising and make it fun for all who are involved. One of our favorite fundraisers is the annual bake sale. This event not only raises lots of money, but it also gives us an opportunity to educate what T1D is and how eating sugar does not cause T1D but in fact, it can save the life of my son. We also have drawings for restaurants, hotel stays and other fun items for all who donate under our walk team. Everyone loves to win prizes so this helps motivate our team members to donate more to JDRF!
Another way we have been successful with fundraising is with our sponsorship package. Businesses have the opportunity to donate and sport their logo on the back of our walk day shirt and our website. Our friends, family and co-workers love seeing their company’s logo on the back of our team t-shirts!
The JDRF One Walk is such an important day for our family. It’s a day where Preston can feel like a normal kid and be treated like the superstar he is! We look forward to Walk day where all of our family, friends, and co-workers can come together and show Preston how hard we are working to find a cure for him!
Jon Holzapfel