On Saturday, May 13, more than 750 guests and volunteers joined us at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport for the 41st Annual JDRF Greater New England Gala–One Night. It was an exceptional evening celebrating the collective efforts of the entire community, raising $2.4 million (and counting!) for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research! The energy and enthusiasm felt throughout the night was palpable, and we are so grateful to all of you, our incredible sponsors, families, and friends of JDRF for your generosity.

Hosted by our emcees, Vanessa Welch and Mark Ockerbloom of Boston 25 News, the evening kicked off with a compilation of videos giving us a glimpse inside the life of Anna Bode, a 2023 Children’s Congress delegate living with T1D. We then shared the story of Tzield, one of the many exciting advancements that has occurred this year thanks to JDRF supporters and advocates.

We were delighted to recognize this year’s honorees, Liz Chang and Joe Wallace. Their son, John, was diagnosed with T1D at the age of six. Since then, Liz and Joe’s passion, support, and steadfast commitment to JDRF’s mission has made a significant impact on the Greater New England community. Over the past nine years, their Reach the Beach relay team, Agony of Duhfeet, has raised an astounding $1 million. Their team demonstrates the power and strength our personal and professional communities can bring to our collective efforts to find cures for T1D. In addition to Reach the Beach, Liz served on the JDRF Community Board for six years, leading the final two as Chapter Board President. During this time, she also spearheaded the Corporate Development Committee, which has benefited enormously from her strategic vision and tireless efforts. We invite you to view their video and to share their message broadly to help further drive our mission forward: https://bit.ly/JDRFGalaHonorees2023.Joe Wallace, Liz Chang, Zoë Wallace, John Wallace

Fund A Cure
There is still time to donate to Fund A Cure! One of the most powerful aspects of the Gala each year takes place during this special portion of the evening. We are truly grateful to Liz and Joe for sharing their story, and for motivating generosity and hope. Gifts to Fund A Cure are 100% tax deductible and are as critical as ever, as they directly support ground-breaking T1D research. If you or someone you know is interested in contributing, please visit bit.ly/JDRFGalaFAC2023, or call 781-431-0700. You may view Liz and Joe’s heartfelt speech by visiting bit.ly/JDRFGalaFACSpeech2023.

Thank You to our JDRF One Night Partners and Event Volunteers
The evening would not have been possible without the amazing support of our JDRF partners. We are grateful to our corporate sponsors, especially this year’s Corporate Champion Award recipient, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, for their consistent and generous support of JDRF. We offer very special thanks to our extraordinary One Night Gala Committee led by Gala Chair, Jaleen Siekman, Vice Chair, Dawn McGrew, Procurement Chair, Maureen Conway, Volunteer Chair, Teresa Miller, Marketing and Communications Chair, Jamie O’Riordan, and Guest Experience Chair, Sherri Panaro, for their remarkable efforts in making the evening both successful and memorable; our Corporate Development Committee, led by Chairs, Bill Power and Michael Stanley, for their steadfast commitment to engaging generosity through our corporate partners; and to the Greater New England Community Board, led by President, Colin Motley, for their leadership and encouragement throughout the year. We share much appreciation for the unparalleled talent and passion Brian Smith and his team bring to this event each year through the production of the beautiful videos shown throughout the evening. Many thanks to Hannoush Jewelers for providing the stunning diamond tennis bracelet for our raffle, and the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport for welcoming us to their beautiful new space. A huge thank you to our vendor partners Bailey Print Management, Boss Band, Boston GIF, Cramer, Encore, Exquisite Events, Greater Giving, OneCause, and Portrait Simple for bringing our ideas to life, assisting in the look and management of the evening’s program. We would also like to recognize Kevin Trimmer Photography for beautifully capturing the special moments throughout the night, which may be viewed by visiting kevintrimmer.instaproofs.com/JDRF-Boston-Gala-2023. Lastly, thank you to the 130 event volunteers who assisted the JDRF Greater New England staff and Gala Committee leading up to, during, and following the event. We are truly grateful to everyone who provided their time, talent, and treasure to ensure this year’s Gala was a complete success!

We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support of JDRF, One Night, and our mission. Thank you for being a part of JDRF’s transformative research, advocacy, and outreach efforts, and for bringing us one step closer to a cure.

With heartfelt appreciation,
JDRF Greater New England Chapter

 Be the Momentum. Be the Progress. Be the Cure.