We were so happy to see everyone’s smiling faces on November 5th for JDRF Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s first in-person Gala since 2019!

More than 500 guests from Maryland and the D.C. Metro area came out to MGM National Harbor to stand “Together Against One” for the first time in three years! Our Gala Co-Chairs Wanda Forrest and Richard Lucas, as well as our incredible Executive Committee, threw an inspiring Gala where we all enjoyed cocktails, dinner, and an after-party. We celebrated our 2022 Honoree, AdvaMed, for their partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Chapter and leadership in our community over the years. We also recognized our Rapaport Lifetime Service Awardee, Loretta Ishida, for her strong advocacy, leadership, and continuous driving of the mission forward since her daughter’s diagnosis.

Our amazing Auction Committee, helmed by long-time supports of JDRF, Auction Co-Chairs Lauren Rapaport and Susan Traver, curated an incredible selection of silent and live auction items resulting in raising more than $50,000 over goal. We are thankful for our all of our generous donors and bidders who participated in our 2022 Auction. As always, it takes a village! The highlight of our Auction, as always, was our incredible pup Kevin donated by the generous Sacto Labradoodles. After a rousing auction, Kevin found a new home with none other than our Fund a Cure Family! You can see a picture of Kevin (now Kody) with his new family above!

The Vij Family kicked off Fund A Cure with some incredibly poignant remarks that left the whole room moved. After sharing his incredible story about adult-onset type one (after several inaccurate diagnoses), Aman Vij shared how not just his life but the lives of his family members shifted. Aman left many of us reeling when he reflected on the fact that, while he checked the “no family history of T1D” box at diagnosis, his children will not. This is why we fight to turn Type One into Type None. Then our 2022 JDRF Champions—a group of inspiring young High Schoolers who commit themselves to raising more than $5,000 per person directly towards T1D research—joined the auctioneer on stage. Our Lead Champion, Ibbie Jackson, shared remarks on what having T1D and participating in the Champions program means to her, and announced that the Champions raised over $124,000 before the auctioneer challenged the room to match their efforts.

To everyone who joined us that night, whether as attendee or volunteer, a sincere thank you to for all your support of the event, JDRF, and our mission. Together we can turn Type One into Type None.

If you weren’t able to join us at the Gala, you still have an opportunity to participate and make a difference in the lives of our loved ones with T1D. If you are able, we are asking you to consider helping us “Fund A Cure” by making a donation today. Through Fund A Cure, your 100% tax deductible donation goes directly to JDRF’s life-altering research and helps everyone with T1D live longer, stronger, and healthier lives on our road to the ultimate cure. For instructions on how to donate to Fund A Cure through your donor advised fund or a stock donation, among other ways, please click here. You can also make a donation online here.

Click HERE to see additional photos from the evening.