On Tuesday, June 3, 2019, the Westchester/Fairfield/Hudson Valley Chapter hosted the Annual Mission Update at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. This event provides an opportunity to highlight JDRFs mission, thank volunteers, and review our organizational and research accomplishments during the past fiscal year. In part 1, we offer a recap of the JDRF Overview and a thank you to our Board of Directors.

Marcia Maslo, Executive Director, welcomed all our attendees and gave us a T1D and JDRF Mission overview.

T1D is a life-long disease that is growing in impact. Today T1D impacts 1.25M people in the US or 1 out of every 262 people. In just 30 years, T1D will impact 5M people in the US or 1 in 88 people. Like all autoimmune diseases, T1D is increasing in the number of people affected as well the associated cost of their healthcare.

JDRF’s vision is a world without T1D. Our mission is to improve lives today and tomorrow by accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. Through our fundraising efforts, hundreds of thousands of supporters from all over the world helped us raise $227M in FY18 which was a 10 year high. Nearly 80% went directly to mission work that includes research, advocacy and education. But no matter how generous many of you are, the cost of funding all the promising research in front of us outstrips what we can realistically raise. That’s why a core part of our strategy is seeking innovative ways to leverage your dollars so they go even farther. In 2018, JDRF directly and indirectly attracted $362.5 million toward T1D research initiatives. Put another way, our impact on the T1D landscape goes far beyond our direct research funding. For every $1 JDRF invests in research, an additional $2 is brought into the field through our efforts.

Thank You to our Board of Directors

Marcia acknowledged the important work and support for our Board of Directors. She thanked our outgoing co-presidents, Barbara Arman and Laura Daniels, for their time, expertise and commitment to JDRF’s mission. Barbara and Laura acknowledged our incoming FY20 Co-Presidents, Bernadette Kelleher and Jeff Karitis. They also thanked Rod Reef, Stacey Sheinbaum and Joshua Sorensen who have completed their terms and welcomed our new members, Chuck Benfer, Joe McCue, Neesha Ramchandani and Dr. Leonard Vinnick. JDRF and the Westchester/Fairfield/Hudson Valley Chapter, benefits from the many dedicated volunteers we have supporting our efforts.

Visit our blog next week to read our 2019 Mission Update Recap – Part 2: Organizational and Chapter Highlights.