Patty Sue Mozart is a dedicated mom on a mission. And, she’s making a difference while lighting up our community every step of the way. When her son Forrest was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the age of 15, nearly 20 years ago, it turned her family’s world upside down. “It was a huge shock and a rude awakening,” Patty Sue recalls. “There is a tremendous learning curve for the whole family. Once your child is diagnosed, you have a new job. There is a new need and focus in your life.” For Patty Sue, that meant getting involved with the leading global funder of T1D research, JDRF. She also looked around her own back yard and discovered a passionate community of families living with the disease. She decided to volunteer for JDRF and eventually joined the committee of our golf, tennis, and dinner fundraiser, then known as Spring Fling, now Tee to Table, at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay.

Everyone who knows Patty Sue knows that once she gets involved with something, she puts her whole heart and soul into it. She’s also known for always greeting JDRF staff and volunteers with a warm smile and a sincere “Thank You for all you do!” Her passionate support of JDRF is inspired by her son, but she has in turn inspired us all to work harder and be the best team members we can be. She is a true champion.

“Patty Sue’s spirit is just amazing. She is smart, collaborative, and dedicated, but also fun to be with and an overall nice person,” says Frank Bitonte, JDRF Bay Area Development Manager. “She has contributed so much to Tee to Table, first as a committee member and now as chair for the second year in a row. She’s become a big part of our lives, and in our JDRF family.”

Patty Sue attributes the success of Tee to Table to the unique comradery within the T1D community. “I feel people who attend Tee to Table are basically family, extended family or friends who really care,” she says. “Our reputation as the #1 JDRF golf fundraiser in the nation has grown. We have positive energy and make the event a lot of fun!” She has channeled that enthusiasm into tirelessly leading the committee, lending her creativity, shaping the theme (this year it’s “A Night in Havana!”), and being unafraid to ask for sponsorships, donations, and any other kind of support needed to create an extraordinary and meaningful event.

Forrest is now a successful businessman and family man, managing T1D as best he can. Patty Sue will not stop working hard until a cure is found, for her son and the millions of others who live with the disease. “A cure would mean no more worrying that Forrest may become dangerously hypoglycemic while he’s sleeping and that he may not wake up. A cure would mean not worrying that his wife, children, family, and friends could possibly lose him to this horrible thing. For everyone who lives with T1D, a cure would mean freedom not known to them now. Just thinking about a cure makes me smile!” That’s a smile we can’t wait to see.