In recent years, JDRF has gathered a significant percentage of its funding from two annual events– the Crab Feed and the One Party Gala — both of which serve to facilitate community participation and donor recognition. Not only do these events sponsor rapid advancements in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) research, they also celebrate the contributions of individuals whose generous efforts and donations help sustain and strengthen our fight against T1D. Essential to this success is our Procurement Chair, Diana Siers, who works to obtain donated items for the auctions, held at both the Crab Feed and the One Party Gala.

Diana has volunteered for JDRF since 2011, and currently works at the Chapter office on a weekly basis in addition to participating in many volunteer activities at her local church. Her primary focus is the production of raffles and auctions at a variety of JDRF events, particularly by securing donated items to serve as prizes. She oversees the entire procurement process by creating lists of potential donors, managing and tracking the items JDRF receives, creating packages for bidding, and organizing the auction itself. Diana believes the most fulfilling aspect of her volunteer work is the capacity to help others; by contributing her efforts to these fundraising events, especially the Crab Feed and the Gala, she advances our ability to fund critical T1D research studies.

On February 24, 2018; JDRF will host the 15^th Annual Crab & Shrimp Feed at McClellan Park Conference Center. Guests can participate in the raffle and silent auction, feast on crab and shrimp, and end the night dancing to music! Later, at the Sacramento Hyatt Regency on May 11, 2018, the One Party Gala will also provide dinner, dancing, and an auction, and will serve as an opportunity to recognize JDRF’s most generous donors. Participants interested in attending one or both of these events can contact Stacy Wear at swear@jdrf.org

Historically, the Crab Feed and Gala auctions have proven immensely successful in their fundraising capacity; in the past year, with Diana’s help, we raised $94,375 from both auctions combined. This achievement would have been impossible without charitable contributions from donors, who provided a total of 275 auction prizes. We encourage all individuals, businesses, and groups interested in contributing to the auction to contact Diana Siers, Procurement Chair at NCIVolunteer@jdrf.org

By contributing your items, products, or services, you can help ensure that JDRF maintains its ability to advance Type 1 Diabetes research that transforms the lives of people with Type 1 Diabetes.

Written by: Lorena Bergstrom