JDRF Northern Florida Went All In for a Cure – Raising $1.15 Million

WINTER PARK, FL (November, 2022) – JDRF Northern Florida raised a record breaking $1.15 million at their annual fundraising Gala. The “Viva La Cure” event, presented by Morgan & Morgan, was hosted at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes, on October 29, and welcomed 375 of Greater Orlando and Greater Tampa’s most prominent philanthropists, business, and community leaders. The emcee of the evening was Jason Guy of WESH 2 News and featured Honorees Liz Kennedy of Satellite Beach (Vice President of Florida Operations for Amwins) and Ben Milsom of Tampa (Chief Ticketing Officer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

It was all about the glitz and glamour this year as guests were transported to the lights of Vegas. The fabulous evening started with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, as well as a silent auction. During the seated dinner, a live auction took place with curated trips from Travel + Leisure, Co, Bricoleur Vineyards, and others. The highlight of the live auction was the Apricot Labradoodle from Bay Lake Doodles that found his new home with a $20,000 donor. The dinner concluded with JDRF’s signature Fund A Cure program, a segment that featured the Pape Family of Apopka, in which 100% tax-deductible donations were made specifically to research aimed at improving lives and curing type 1 diabetes. To celebrate the monumental fundraising efforts, The Manhattan Band and casino-style gaming concluded the evening.

Everyone left Viva La Cure a winner knowing their dollars went to support research directly impacting children and adults living with type 1 diabetes. The date for the 2023 Gala will be announced in the new year. To make a contribution to Fund A Cure visit https://www2.jdrf.org/vivalacure.

About T1D

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, called beta cells. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.2 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our six international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org.