Koechers for the Cure

Logan, UT - On Saturday September 12, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation held their annual "Walk to Cure Diabetes." This year's walk brought out many participants from all over the county and probably even farther. Whether it was the free food, the sunshine or the chance to show off team t-shirts that enticed participants out didn't matter because everyone was at least united in the cause to cure diabetes.

When we could be doing almost anything on a beautiful Saturday morning Amber and I decided we would do something that was more about helping others then about ourselves. The decision to joint the walk came when we both heard an add on the radio announcing the event. We both felt that we needed to start giving back to our community and take an active role in participating in local events.

Hundreds of people were in attendance for the walk. As the announcer went through the morning entertainment it became clear that most of the people there were seasoned 5k cure walkers. As for Amber and I it was our first walk...ever.

In the Greater Utah Chapter of JDRF there are five walks scheduled in the fall that extend from Orem to Boise, Idaho. We participated in the Cache County Willow park walk. The 5k started at the beautiful Willow Park in Logan and meandered it's way around the local neighborhood and on to the Logan River walk way. A person couldn't ask for a more inspiring place to take a walk for a good cause.

One of the most touching things for us as first timers to the world of diabetes fundraising was to hear the stories of young children who just found out they had the disease, and knowing forever more their lives will be changed.

Amber was diagnosed with type I diabetes just before her sweet 16 birthday. At the time it was very scary for her and her family as they faced a new challenge that none of them could have ever prepared for. Now eight years later with practice and education diabetes has become a part of her life that, with a little effort, she controls so it doesn't control her. It can be safely said that her ability to manage the disease through use of her pump and tester and other actions she takes has been greatly affected by research which was made possible by fundraisers like this.

According to their website JDRF was founded in 1970 and since then has provided our $1.3 billion for research for the disease. Now Amber and I join the fight to cure this disease so that one day others won't have to deal with the hundreds of pin pricks, changing sites, low and high blood sugar, and the constant vigilance it takes to manage the disease.