Thousands Gather To Say Boo To Diabetes
By: Lauren Heeger, Citizen Journalist
On a beautiful day in late October, over 8,000 people came together at Churchill Downs in Louisville to show their support for curing Type I diabetes. This was an amazing event where Type I diabetics and their family and friends could come out and show they will not stop until a cure is found.
The weather was perfect as participants of the event showed their support and walked the Churchill Downs grounds. People were decorated with their personally designed t-shirts and banners showing their support for their team. A t-shirt design contest was held and the winner was Dakota Integrated Systems and Team Savana. All t-shirts entered in the contest were wonderfully made and very creative.
After the walk, a Country band played for entertainment as the walkers ate lunch and enjoyed their time together. The band was Luk Nichols and The Other Side of Midnight. The lead singer and guitarist, Luk, is a 22-year-old Type I diabetic. He was happy to be able to provide music for supporters, “It means a lot to me to be able to be here today and to show my support for curing diabetes. It’s really amazing to see all these people come out. It means a lot to me and other Type I diabetics.” Luk and his band will also be playing at the JDRF Passport to a Bluegrass Gala on April 20th. For more information about Luk Nichols and the band’s newest album, (part of the sales are donated to JDRF) visit www.luknichols.com.
This event alone raised over $800,000 in efforts to cure Type I diabetes. The self-less dedication the people involved show is truly inspiring. To get involved with JDRF you can visit www.JDRF.org. Join the cause next year!
