Jennifer Dole was first introduced to JDRF last year, when she participated in the Amelia Island Ride to Cure Diabetes. There, she recalls discovering an immensely supportive community with a wealth of advice about diabetes management. After a diagnosis of gestational diabetes at the age of 36, while pregnant with her second child, she soon developed Type 1 Diabetes. At the time, she had little information about the condition, and adjusting to live with T1D proved daunting and disorienting. After discovering the JDRF community, she has worked to ensure that other newly diagnosed individuals are able to access the crucial information she lacked, in order to effectively regain control of their lives. Jennifer currently works as an IT manager at VSP Vision Care, where she works to distribute eyeglass frames and lenses to a global supply chain. In her free time, she enjoys biking, reading, hiking, and supporting local arts and dance organizations.

Dana Baker has been involved in the T1D community since her daughter was diagnosed in April 2014. In the past several years, she has played an increasingly active role within JDRF,raising funds and awareness through a variety of leadership positions. Dana and her husband Roger have assisted greatly in facilitating a connection between JDRF and the Shingle Springs Subaru dealership — a corporate partnership that further developed through the Subaru Share the Love Campaign. As family friends of the dealership owner Bryant McCarver, the Bakers encouraged the McCarver family to select JDRF as a beneficiary of this campaign, an annual program in which a portion of money raised from each sale is donated to a local charity. This year, with Dana’s help, Subaru once again chose to partner with JDRF! Dana also serves as the 2018 One Party Gala Fund A Cure Chair, leading fundraising efforts and organizing the Fund A Cure program.

Greg Vaughn is a local hero in the baseball world. As a four-time All Star in the major leagues, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers, the San Diego Padres, and the Colorado Rockies. Although he has since retired as a player, he continues to coach for the Brewers, Padres, and Cincinnati Reds. Beyond his baseball career, Greg has become an important leader in T1D advocacy. Since his son Cory was diagnosed at the age of 11, he has sought to help other families cope with the everyday difficulties of the disease, and to fight for a cure through participation in fundraising events. One of his most notable contributions to JDRF has been the Greg Vaughn Celebrity Golf Tournament, an event created through partnerships with corporate sponsors and a variety of celebrity athletes. This August marked the second annual tournament; as before, proceeds went directly to JDRF. For his remarkable work in raising both awareness and money, Greg was named a 2017 One Party Gala Honoree.

We look forward to working with these inspiring individuals to create a future without Type 1 Diabetes.

Written by: Lorena Bergstrom