“We have an interesting story actually,” says Stephanie Morgan. “I got involved with the Walk to Cure Diabetes ten years ago when my girlfriend’s daughter was diagnosed at the age of two. It hit a soft spot with me and I wanted to learn as much as I could about the disease and I fundraised for them for almost eight years. I was on the Walk committee for a couple of years as well.” That was only the beginning of Stephanie’s story. In November 2010, having learned so much about T1D, she recognized symptoms in her own son who was five at the time. Her cause became more personal and she started her family Walk team, Landon’s Rockin Walkers. “It was 2011 and I got ambitious and put $10,000 as my goal,” she says. “I was astounded when we raised almost $20,000!”

Last year, Stephanie started Claws for a Cause, an evening event that includes a lobster dinner, dance and auction that raises money for Landon’s Rockin Walkers. The ticket price is $85 per person and that covers the cost of the event. Each person gets their own lobster and it is served Louisiana style. There is a live and silent auction, a 50-50 raffle and all drink sales benefit JDRF. “Last year, the event raised $10,000 in one night!” says Stephanie.

“I am hoping to continue on this path and to create an event that becomes bigger than I ever dreamed,” says Stephanie.

Landon is now almost nine years old and doing well. But Stephanie is determined to help find a cure for her son and the millions of others who live with T1D. She hopes that Claws for a Cause will continue to be a fun and memorable annual event that brings awareness to T1D and raises a lot of money for JDRF. “Today I had a woman contact me for tickets and she told me that her neighbor said it was the best event of the year,” Stephanie says. “That was a huge compliment and made me very happy that people are talking about it.”

Claws for a Cause:

Date: September 6, 2013
Time: 6:00-10:30 PM
Place: The Amaral Barn, 23616 Parker Road, Salinas, CA
Tickets: $85 per person
RSVP: Stephanie Morgan 831-601-5721 or stephmorgan48@gmail.com