“My brother has type 1 diabetes, so we’ve been walking for as long as we can remember,” Andrew Rimland, a senior at Marlboro High School told us. Andrew grew up walking with his family to support his older brother Jesse, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in 2001.

Andrew tried to start a school One Walk team last year, but hit roadblocks with the school. This year, though, he was making it happen. On day one, Andrew found a teacher to serve as their club advisor and created the Marlboro H.S. Diabetes Club. Two days later, the founding members held their first board meeting.

Alongside Andrew, founding members – Jake Rosen, Brian Levine, Lexi Jay and Matt Wolf – used “social power” to spread the word and raise awareness. They tapped representatives in each grade to market the club throughout the entire school. Within a few weeks, the Diabetes Club had more 100 members signed up – already making it the largest club in school. And, in just one week, the club sold 115 T-shirts, a fundraiser for the upcoming JDRF One Walk, Jersey Shore at Avon-by-the-Sea.

On October 8, the Marlboro Stangs walked with JDRF at Avon-by-the-Sea. For Andrew and the Marlboro Stangs, One Walk was a rallying moment, “Everyone was so connected. It was great to have such a volume of people. Not only did it promote JDRF as a whole; they want to get more involved.” Andrew continued, “There is a lot of hype; they want to come back.”

What’s up next for Andrew and the club? The club’s next fundraising event – a 3v3 basketball tournament for early 2018 – is already in the works. With a basketball tournament, the club is hoping to tap into the community’s interests and will look for sponsors in their backyard. And of course, the club plans to market their event through street teams – raising awareness from the ground up.

Andrew also has a long-term vision for the club. By uniting siblings and friends of people living with T1D and focusing his recruitment efforts on younger graders (even down to middle school!), Andrew is setting the club up for longevity. And, he would love to unite local diabetes clubs to increase their presence at One Walk.

As a sibling Andrew knows, first hand, about the constant struggle parents and kids face every day with T1D. “The volatility of my brother’s numbers, that change from hour to hour, is scary.” He sees the need for developing education and devices that can help people monitor the disease better every day.

When I sat down to interview Andrew for National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM), I was blown away by his approach to managing this new club. He handled it like a business. Although his reason for starting the club was personal, he was thoughtful in his plan, making sure he was shaping something that students with – or without – a diabetes connection could benefit from. He was providing opportunities for community service hours, to give back, and connect with the local T1D community. And, by engaging younger students he was automatically creating a pipeline of future Diabetes Club leaders.

 We always say that diabetes affects the whole family. Andrew is proof of that; he’s inspired and motivated to have an impact on T1D research because he witnesses the constant struggle parents and kids face every day with T1D. Andrew is just one of the many siblings determined to raise awareness and funds for our mission.

We’d love to hear: What you do to support your sibling, friend or family member with T1D?

Stacy DiArchangel
JDRF Development Manager