Photo Credit: Bridget Moehlman

When Helen Rapp Nightingale’s brother, Turner, was diagnosed with T1D nearly 20 years ago, she wanted to do everything she could to help find a cure for him. She was only 12 years old at the time but knew a lot about kids’ theatre. With support from her “generous and talented” family and friends, the Arch City Kids Theatre Troupe (ACTT) was created.

Based in St. Louis, ACTT produces an annual Broadway-style musical revue to raise money and awareness for JDRF. Each summer’s performance—which includes two evening shows and a matinee—is driven entirely by children ages 8 to 18, from casting to directing to choreography. “The fact that the kids are the leadership, make all the decisions, and make the show happen is very impactful for them and hopefully inspires them to be positive agents of change throughout their lives,” Helen said.

The shows are free, but donations are taken at the door. In the lobby, there are fundraisers galore: raffles, a silent auction, a bake sale, and more. To date, ACTT has raised nearly $325,000 for JDRF.

Izzy Scheibel (pictured above right) has been part of ACTT since she was 10 years old, and this summer she was the Educational Director and Choreographer. “Dancing with T1D introduced me to this incredible group,” she said. “ACTT is like family to me. I’m able to do what I love and was born to do all while raising awareness for T1D!”

Learn how members of the T1D community are going Forward for Type 1 Diabetes during National Diabetes Awareness Month.

Photo Credits: Bridget Moehlman