World Diabetes Day: Nov. 14 Blue Light Awards event in Rhode Island (updated)

Photo: Pamela Bhatia, Artistic Images

Rep. Grace Diaz, along with the Rhode Island World Diabetes Day team, will mark World Diabetes Day on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick to spread awareness about the effects and prevention of diabetes.

The event, which is funded in part by a $7,500 legislative grant from Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi, on behalf of the House of Representatives, was created to positively impact the growing diabetes epidemic in the state by building a coalition of community members who work toward reducing the burden of pre-diabetes and diabetes in Rhode Island. In addition, the dome of the State House will be illuminated in blue all week in honor of National Diabetes Month.

The program will include presentations, updates and panel discussions, as well as a keynote address on living with diabetes by chef and restaurateur, Sam Choy, in partnership with Novo Nordisk.

Representative Diaz will present the Grace Diaz Blue Light Award, which is given annually to an individual or organization that has made a positive difference in diabetes prevention and care in Rhode Island. 

In keeping with this year’s theme, “Access to Diabetes Care,” the award will be presented to those who have shown a commitment to providing access to diabetes care, including: Krystal Bevilacqua, Kenny Correia, Alex Gianfrancesco, Patricia Hoffman, Lillian Nieves, Bradford Pease and Kelley Doherty Sanzen.

Closing remarks will be given by Rhode Island World Diabetes Day co-chairs Deborah Newell and Megan Sheridan.

Diabetes is growing at an epidemic rate in the United States

Nationwide, more than 30 million Americans have diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The annual event is an opportunity to increase awareness about diabetes as a potentially devastating disease both locally and nationally. Ultimately, the event seeks to empower people to manage their own health while living with diabetes and pre-diabetes. 

Representative Diaz said it’s important to shed light on the growing number of minority groups affected by the disease. “As a former diabetes educator, I am aware of the struggle many of these patients go through when they are diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes,” the representative said. “I am also aware of the growing problem in our minority communities, where information about the effects of this disease may not be as accessible as it should be. I am hoping this event will change that, and give people an opportunity to learn about support opportunities and prevention.”

Diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening illness that affects about 20 million Americans and more than 106,000 Rhode Islanders, according to the state Department of Health. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body cannot produce hormone insulin. The more common Type 2 is defined as the body’s inability to produce or use insulin efficiently. Both types are marked by high levels of blood sugar.

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on Nov. 14 in order to keep the illness in the public spotlight. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007. 

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JDRF Greater New England Chapter moves FORWARD as one with the Type 1 Diabetes
community during National Diabetes Awareness Month 

Communities across the globe will illuminate major landmarks in blue to raise awareness for type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes on and around World Diabetes Day. In New England, that will include Memorial Bridge between Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Kittery, Maine, 888 Boylston Tower, Boston City Hall, Boston Harbor Hotel, Boylston Plaza, Longfellow Bridge and Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston, Fore River Bridge between Quincy and Weymouth, John E. Cox Memorial Bridge, Lowell, Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge between Shrewsbury and Worcester, Patriots Place, Foxboro, Massachusetts, Sakonnet River Bridge in Tiverton, Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State House.  

World Diabetes Day is celebrated on November 14 every year in conjunction with National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM). During NDAM, communities across the country team up to bring attention to the three types of diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. Although lighting landmarks doesn’t help the cause if people don’t understand the reason behind it. Governors around the country are taking extra steps to help raise awareness by signing official proclamations marking November, Diabetes Awareness Month. Spreading awareness about the realities of life with type 1 diabetes (T1D)—like how to spot it, what must be done to take care of it, what research is being conducted—helps everyone who could potentially cross paths with someone who has T1D to be better educated about the disease.  

“For more than 50 years, JDRF has been at the forefront of research progress, advocating for new advancements to better the lives of those impacted by type 1 diabetes,” said Aaron Kowalski, Ph.D., JDRF CEO. “This National Diabetes Awareness Month, as we celebrate how far we have come, we recognize the path forward is still being defined and will ultimately lead to breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes.”  

JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is the leading global organization funding T1D research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood-sugar levels. People with T1D need to check their blood sugar levels and self-administer insulin multiple times a day–every day–for the rest of their lives. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without it. The JDRF Greater New England Chapter works to connect, engage, and support the T1D community in Maine, eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.    

T1D affects millions of people and can be diagnosed at any age. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and, at present, there is no cure. Continued investments in promising research are needed to put an end to T1D and its devastating complications. 

Join us throughout November as we come together to raise awareness and support those affected by diabetes. For more information about T1D or how to donate to JDRF, visit www.jdrf.org.  

About JDRF 

JDRF’s mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested more than $2.5 billion in research funding since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally and globally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a global stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers throughout the United States and our five international affiliates are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit jdrf.org or follow us on Twitter (@JDRFGNE), Facebook (@JDRFGreaterNewEngland), and Instagram (@JDRFGreaterNewEngland). 

About Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) 

T1D is an autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or none at all, leading to long-term complications, which can include highs and lows in blood sugar; damage to the kidneys, eyes, nerves, and heart; and even death if left untreated. It is one of the fastest-growing chronic health conditions. Many believe T1D is only diagnosed in childhood and early puberty, but diagnosis in adulthood is on the rise, and accounts for nearly 50% of all T1D diagnoses. The onset is sudden and nothing can be done to prevent it yet—it is not related to diet or lifestyle. While its causes are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. There is currently no cure for T1D. 

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