–Local Landmarks to Be Lit Blue on World Diabetes Day–

Wellesley Hills, MA—November 12, 2021—Communities across the globe will illuminate major landmarks in blue to raise awareness for type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes on and around World Diabetes Day. Locally, that will include Memorial Bridge between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine, Portland City Hall, 888 Boylston Tower, Boylston Plaza, Longfellow Bridge and Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston, Fore River Bridge between Quincy and Weymouth, Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge between Shrewsbury and Worcester, Massachusetts, Sakonnet River Bridge in Tiverton, Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State House.

World Diabetes Day is celebrated on November 14 every year in conjunction with National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM). During NDAM, communities across the country team up to bring attention to the three types of diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. Although lighting landmarks doesn’t help the cause if people don’t understand the reason behind it. Vermont Governor, Philip Scott, took an extra step to help raise awareness by signing an official proclamation marking November, Diabetes Awareness Month in Vermont. Spreading awareness about the realities of life with type 1 diabetes (T1D)—like how to spot it, what must be done to take care of it, what research is being conducted—helps everyone who could potentially cross paths with someone who has T1D to be better educated about the disease.

“The need for awareness and education on T1D is more important than ever, but we cannot do it alone,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., JDRF CEO. “This National Diabetes Awareness Month, we celebrate the impact and influence of our vast T1D community who together spread awareness about diabetes and highlight the urgent need to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications.”

JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is the leading global organization funding T1D research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood-sugar levels. People with T1D need to check their blood sugar levels and self-administer insulin multiple times a day–every day–for the rest of their lives. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without it. The JDRF Greater New England Chapter works to connect, engage, and support the T1D community in Maine, eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

T1D affects millions of people and can be diagnosed at any age. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and, at present, there is no cure. Continued investments in promising research are needed to put an end to T1D and its devastating complications.

About JDRF

JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

T1D is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that can strike children and adults at any age. It requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levels—even overnight—to avoid potentially lethal highs and lows in blood sugar, as well as other devastating complications like kidney, eye and nerve diseases. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset is sudden and is not related to diet or lifestyle. In T1D, the body’s immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, meaning the body produces little to no insulin to regulate blood sugar and get energy from food. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.