Walk organisers call on you to help cure diabetes
3:29pm Friday 20th May 2011
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THEY’RE hoping thousands in Hampshire will step out to take part in a global walk against a chronic, life-threatening illness.
Backed by the Daily Echo, The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) yesterday launched its campaign to raise more than £60,000 with a sponsored Walk to Cure Diabetes.
Families, businesses and type one diabetes sufferers will all come together in September in Manor Farm Country Park, Bursledon, to run or walk 5km for the charity.
It’s the tenth year Hampshire has hosted the event, and this time around organisers hope it will be bigger than ever.
Hannah Scott, development manager for JDRF, said: “We raised over £60,000 last year and hope to top that this year. We’ve been very lucky in Southampton and Hampshire – it’s really become a local
institution.”
More than half a million people all over the world will also be taking part in sponsored walks during the autumn for the charity, in seven different countries.
Type one diabetes sufferer Siobhan Murphy, 23, spoke at the event’s launch yesterday to convey how important it is to find a cure for the disease.
She said: “Type one diabetes is something that you’re dealing with 24/7, 365 days a year – you don’t get a break from it.
“The work JDRF is doing is very exciting – nobody can put a time scale on when a cure will be found, but it will definitely get there and the sooner it comes the better in my opinion.”
The charity is urging businesses in the county to back the walk by putting together teams of employees to take part.
DP World Southampton has led the way by pledging to raise more than £5,000 and enter a team of 50 staff into the walk.
Chris Lewis, managing director of the company and corporate chairman for the event, said: “I strongly believe this is a very worthwhile cause.
“When I began to learn about this condition, I was absolutely shocked by a number of facts.
“If a child is diagnosed at the age of five, by the time they’re 18 they will have done 30,000 finger-prick blood tests and will probably have had to inject insulin 26,000 times – this is very
traumatic for kids.”
l To take part in the walk on Sunday, September 25, go to jdrf.org.uk/walk to register.
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