BAY CITY — Heather Vanwagoner of Grand Blanc made an early drive to Bay City Sunday morning to participate in the second annual Walk to Cure Diabetes, a walk that she says is important to her.
Vanwagoner is the only person in her family to have been diagnosed with the condition. On Vanwagoner’s one-year anniversary of diabetes diagnosis and wanting to raise money to aide in research of finding a cure for the disease, she and her family decided to join in the walk.
“In a week’s time that we planned to walk in this walk, we’ve raised over $500,” said Vanwagoner.
Graham MacBride of Essexville cuts the ribbon at the second annual Walk to Cure Diabetes on Sunday at the Bay County Community Center, 800 John F. Kennedy Drive in Bay City.
Other families from the Great Lakes Bay Region also joined the walk to raise awareness. More than 50 individual families and 850 people total participated in the 3-mile walk said Rita Combest, associate executive director of the South Field Metro Detroit chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF), to raise money for Type 1 Diabetes at the Bay County Community Center, 800 John F. Kennedy Drive in Bay City.
“All the money we raised here is going to research to find a cure for type 1 diabetes,” said Combest. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has raised $1.5 billion since 1970.
The annual walk was founded by Kathy MacBride, 45 of Essexville, last year to raise money and awareness in the area for juvenile diabetes. When MacBride’s 16-month-old son Graham, 13, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, MacBride and her husband Paul started to raise money in hopes of find a cure.
“We’ve been doing this since Graham was diagnosed,” said MacBride. Their efforts started by forming a local juvenile diabetes research support group. Later MacBride got the idea to arrange a walk for the area
This year’s walk, the MacBride family alone raised $3,784. Other families participating
Last year the JDRF raised $62,00 in donations at the Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Donations for 2011 are being collected through Nov. 2, with an anticipation of approximately $70,000 this year, said MacBride.
“That’s pretty exciting. Every year, I’m never disappointed; I’m not surprised,” MacBride said of the
Friends and family understand Graham’s disease and support the family, MacBride said.
“The generosity from my friends and family is overwhelming. Not only do they donate, they walk,” MacBride said of relatives supporting the family by raising awareness and donating to JDRF.
“Were hoping to continue it each year. We are hoping to get businesses involved.”
