The Aldridge Family (Ken, Amy, Laura, Steve, Alex) and Aldridge Electric are dedicated to supporting JDRF because of their personal connection with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Ken and Amy have been dedicated leaders within JDRF for more than fifteen years following the devastating diagnosis of a then 13 year old, Laura, and – ten years later – their adult son Steve. When his son, Steve, was later diagnosed as an adult, Ken and the entire Aldridge family increased their efforts to support the fight against T1D. Steve Aldridge was diagnosed at 33, just a few months before becoming a new father. Despite the added challenge of learning to manage T1D, while also learning how to be a dad, Steve at least had a knowledge of the disease watching his sister deal with a diagnoses years earlier.  That doesn’t mean that Steve doesn’t have challenges. Steve acknowledges that his blood sugar is always on his mind – it’s the first thing he thinks of in the morning and the last thing he thinks of before he goes to sleep. Steve, the entire Aldridge family, and Aldridge Electric, support JDRF to make sure his children, Jack and Violet, have a chance at a life without T1D.

Ken admits his initial motivation for getting involved with JDRF was because his family didn’t know where else to turn and he received a phone call from Glen Tullman urging him to get involved. Then as he learned more about the organization and saw the passion of so many determined volunteers, his commitment to JDRF and our mission grew. Ken is a respected business leader and seeing his dedication and the time he shares with JDRF encourages others to do the same. His varied knowledge on the disease and how it affects people differently are key factors that keep him motivated to continue to share our message and mission.

As with many families new to JDRF, the Aldridge family’s first involvement with the organization was through the JDRF One Walk Program. Aldridge Electric has been a strong partner of the JDRF One Walk for many years. Their team captain, Debbie Wolff, and team member, Susie Cassidy, have helped lead the charge over the years – their leadership has helped Aldridge Electric raise hundreds of thousands of dollars! Debbie is known for her tenacity, dedication and commitment to the team and is always ready and willing to jump in to help support JDRF. Susie Cassidy has been a huge driver of the Aldridge Electric Turkey Fry which is always a fun and successful day of giving!  Aldridge Electric is also a sponsor of the One Walk with a commitment of $100,000 which they leverage to help others get their fundraising started by providing $250 kick starters to the first 400 walkers who raise $500.

Since that first year involved with the JDRF One Walk, the Aldridge Family and Aldridge Electric have become partners to JDRF across many events and campaigns. As head of the Aldridge family, Ken has led by example and encouraged and guided his children to get involved and take on leadership roles within the chapter. Ken’s commitment to the mission and vision of JDRF is exemplified by his continual support and most recent $1 million donation to help accelerate JDRF’s promise to continue research funding during this critical time.  JDRF has a bold vision for the future: to accelerate mission, while becoming more volunteer powered than ever before. JDRF is fast-tracking new strategies to drive cures and help more people, faster than ever. As we evolve our strategies to propel JDRF to an even higher level of impact, we will not change the core of who we are. We are JDRF, and we will not stop until we achieve our vision of a world without type 1 diabetes (T1D). Right now JDRF’s funding is advancing scientific breakthroughs and improving lives by:

• Supporting the most promising scientists in more than 20 countries 
• Conducting more than 10 working groups that regularly bring together world-renowned researches to share findings
• Funding 400 active research grants

Aldridge Electric and the Aldridge Family are in the fight against T1D for the long haul.  They are a true testament of how a family and a company can come together in partnership with JDRF to make the biggest impact, not only for themselves, but for the next generation of T1D’s who will rely on JDRF funded research.

“I have two children with T1D. And we have four grandchildren that I worry about, too. Will they also be affected? We are in until we find a cure.” – Ken and Amy Aldridge