COLUMBIA, SC – February 13, 2012 – JDRF will honor Roger and Barbara Blau at their 15th annual Wings of Love Gala on Saturday March 3, 2012 at the Medallion Center. Each year JDRF presents the Living and Giving Award to individual(s) or a company in the community that embody the spirit of giving through daily conduct centered on improving lives within South Carolina. JDRF Palmetto Chapter executive director, Dana Bruce, has worked with the Blaus for the past 5 years and says, “Mr. and Mrs. Blau have been an integral part in the success of the Palmetto Chapter’s fundraising. After experiencing a family loss due to type 1 diabetes (T1D), the Blaus focused on preventing the tragedy from striking other families by donating their time, money and name to JDRF.”
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Gibson and Associates, Lexington Medical Center, Palmetto Health, and McGowan Hood and Felder are just a few midlands businesses that are showing their support as sponsors of the event. The Blaus, along with these businesses, are heroes in JDRF’s eyes. The JDRF gala is set to raise $250,000 for diabetes research. The black-tie event, themed Hearts and Heroes will include a silent and live auction, live music from BandKamp, a seated dinner and an open bar. In addition to presenting Roger and Barbara Blau with the Living and Giving award, the Gala will also showcase a personal testimony from Grant Parks, a 14-year-old JDRF Junior Ambassador with T1D. Other JDRF Junior Ambassadors will be in attendance. They will share their stories and everyday journeys with diabetes as well as say thank you to their heroes—those that support JDRF by attending the gala. JDRF is proud that more than 80% of revenue goes directly to diabetes research- and to ultimately finding a cure for T1D.
For ticket information, please call (803) 782-1477 or visit www.jdrfpalmetto.org.
About T1D
In T1D, a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food. People with T1D need to test their blood sugar and give themselves insulin (with injections or an insulin pump) multiple times every day, and carefully balance insulin doses with eating and daily activities throughout the day and night. However, insulin is not a cure for diabetes, and even with that intensive care, a significant portion of the day is still spent with either high or low blood sugar, placing people with T1D at risk for devastating complications such as heart attack, stroke, blindness, and amputation.
About JDRF
JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF is to improve the lives of every person affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners who share this goal. Since its founding in 1970, JDRF has awarded more than $1.6 billion to T1D research. More than 80 percent of JDRF’s expenditures directly support research and research-related education. Past JDRF research efforts have helped to significantly improve the care of people with this disease, and have expanded the critical scientific understanding of T1D. JDRF will not rest until T1D is fully conquered.
