Generous donation from estate of Gordon Rockwell furthers JDRF mission to treat, prevent and ultimately find cures for type 1 diabetes

NEW YORK, [October 2, 2019] – JDRF, the world’s largest private funder of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, announced today a donation in excess of $3,000,000 from the estate of Gordon Rockwell to support JDRF’s mission to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications.

Rockwell was born in Flint, Michigan and was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 30. After serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, Rockwell became a creative and discerning manager of some of the finest hotels and resorts in the world including The Waldorf Astoria, Sheraton Towers, Capital Hilton, the Washington Hilton, the Homestead in Virginia, and the Moscow Hilton. He resided in Ft. Myers Beach, Florida, and passed away in July 2018 in Dearborn, Michigan.

“It is an honor to deliver this donation on behalf of Gordon to JDRF,” said Steve Malinak, Gordon’s trustee and friend since childhood. “Gordon was incredibly disciplined when it came to managing his type 1 diabetes and thankfully lived a long and highly productive life. He witnessed first-hand the devastating toll that type 1 diabetes could have and was inspired to leave a very generous gift to fund research to find a cure.”

Rockwell was a regular supporter of JDRF making 25 donations to the organization between 2001 and 2014.

“We are incredibly grateful for Gordon’s generosity and his commitment to advancing JDRF’s mission to find breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., President and CEO of JDRF. “Every dollar gets us one step closer to delivering on the promise of making life with T1D better as we strive to find cures for the disease.”

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) 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 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 or follow us on Twitter: @JDRF