Suburban walks help raise funds to fight diabetes
The Walk to Cure Diabetes, the granddaddy of walks-for-a-cause, sees the money it raises funding research and finding answers.
The walks are organized by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with diabetes, JDRF has given more than $1 billion to diabetes research.
Legendary Chicago Cub Ron Santo, a lifetime JDRF member and advocate, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 18. On Sunday, he'll visit as many of the five JDRF walk sites -- Lisle, Libertyville, Busse Woods near Schaumburg, Orland Park and Chicago's Lakefront -- as possible.
During the baseball season, the former third baseman teams up with Pat Hughes broadcasting Cubs games on WGN Radio 720 AM.
This is JDRF Executive Director Amy Franze's sixth walk. She shares the details of the walk, its need and how money the walks generate is used to find a cure.
Q. What is JDRF?
A. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the No. 1 funder, nongovernmental related, that invests in research to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.
Q. This is the 29th annual walk. What was the genesis of the walk?
A. The walk started because volunteer Sue Ellen Johnson, who has a child with Type 1 diabetes, reached out to Ron (Santo) to ask him to help chair this walk knowing that he had diabetes. The goal was to raise money to find a cure for all those living with diabetes. The first walk was held in the Western suburbs on the Prairie Path.
Q. Who walks?
A. There are parents of children with diabetes, children and adults with diabetes, friends and families affected by this disease and wonderful corporations and employees who care about finding the cure for juvenile diabetes. There are an incredible variety of people who want to find a cure.
Q. What post-walk activities are there for participants?
A. We have kid games, a band, acrobatic groups and a group of Frisbee dogs that perform. A light lunch also is served. It is time for the kids to have a little fun and people to enjoy the music, as well as a time to share experiences with other walkers.
Q. How many people are living with diabetes?
A. The estimate of children and adults living with Type 1 juvenile diabetes is a little more than 2 million people in the United States.
Q. What would you tell a family that recently found out their child has juvenile diabetes?
A. I would tell them to absolutely and positively reach out to JDRF. We have plenty of wonderful families and mentors who can help them in the early stages.
They can help them figure out the things the doctors and nurses have told them about the disease. We actually have some information for newly diagnosed children and teens.
They are certainly not alone. There are thousands of people here in Illinois who can help provide the encouragement and support they need.
Q. What is the most important thing a person should know about managing the disease?
A. There are new technologies and new insulin that makes the management of the disease easier than it has been in the past. There is an absolute focus on finding a cure so you will not have to manage this forever.
Q. What advances look promising?
A. The artificial pancreas is looking quite promising. It is using an insulin pump, which is on the market today, as well as a continuous glucose monitor that is also on the market today.
It is coming up with a way so that the pump and monitor can communicate with each other. The pump would automatically disperse the appropriate insulin based on the reading from the monitor.
Q. What would you want donors to know about the Illinois JDRF chapter?
A. Donors can be assured the money is being spent wisely and being spent on the mission, which is to find a cure for diabetes.
We have never strayed from that goal. We are the No. 1 chapter raising the most money for research, and 87 cents of every dollar goes toward research.
We also are a tremendous resource for people, with a strong outreach program.
Q. In northern Illinois, we are fortunate to have the heart and passion Ron Santo puts into the walk. Are there other celebrities in other parts of the country?
A. Yes, there are celebrities who are very supportive -- Kevin Cline, Mary Tyler Moore, Elliott Yamin from "American Idol," and John Madden, who has a grandson recently diagnosed.
If you go
What: 29th annual Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes
When: Registration at 8:30 a.m. Sunday; walk at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Lisle Community Park on Short Street, between Route 53 and Yackley Avenue
Details: 4K walk (2.4 miles); 7,000 to 8,000 walkers anticipated
Info: (312) 670-0313 or jdrfillinois.org