NEW YORK—October 28, 2020—JDRF, the leading global funder of type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, commemorates National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM) by honoring the strength of the T1D community with the “Power of Us” campaign.

Kicking-off the month on T1D Day, November 1, 2020, will be the first National JDRF One Walk virtual finish line festival and closing ceremony. Hosted by JDRF celebrity ambassadors and stars of the DC Universe and CW series, “Stargirl” Brec Bassinger and Cameron Gellman, the ceremony will celebrate the T1D community’s power to come together and walk 1.6 million miles in dedication to the 1.6 million Americans living with T1D and raise funds for research.

“This year, we step into an NDAM like no other, as the world continues to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, Ph.D., JDRF President and CEO. “As an organization, we want to celebrate the continued strength of the community and our support systems, who together power the perseverance every person with T1D needs to manage this disease, especially in this time.”

Throughout the month of November JDRF is encouraging the community to embrace the “Power of Us” and share personal anecdotes about what it’s like to live with T1D using social platforms Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter as part of the #SeeMeandMyT1D campaign.

JDRF continues to reimagine signature events for the T1D community including the ride format and have introduced a brand-new kind of ride season: JDRF My Ride. The new season which extends through the end of 2020, allows anyone to participate in their own way: indoors on a trainer, outdoors on a bike, with friends or on their own.

“We may be apart, but we’re together for the mission, and we won’t stop until we get to the ultimate finish line: a world without type 1 diabetes (T1D),” adds Kowalski.

For more than 50 years JDRF has been a catalyst of change within the T1D community. Our global leadership has driven nearly every advancement in T1D treatments, technology and cures. JDRF is prioritizing research and advocacy initiatives to accelerate the development of disease modifying therapies that delay, stop or reverse the development of T1D, first-generation beta cell replacement products that would provide insulin independence for up to six months, universal screening strategies to reduce diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis, as well as next generation open protocol artificial pancreas technologies. We’re fighting for coverage, affordability, and choice of insulin and other T1D therapies, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and continued federal support for T1D research through the Special Diabetes Program.

To learn more about JDRF Power of Us campaign and other initiatives, please visit https://www.jdrf.org/national-diabetes-awareness-month-2020/.

About JDRF

JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 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 five 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

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

T1D is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease that can strike children and adults at any age. It requires rigorous 24/7 monitoring of blood glucose levels—even overnight—to avoid potentially lethal highs and lows in blood sugar, as well as other devastating complications like kidney, eye and nerve diseases. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Its onset is sudden and is not related to diet or lifestyle. In T1D, the body’s immune system destroys cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, meaning the body produces little to no insulin to regulate blood sugar and get energy from food. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and—at present—nothing you can do to get rid of it.