2008 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, Ellie’s Quest for a Cure

Sept. 6, 2008 - PRLog -- “Ellie’s Quest for a Cure” team is attempting to surpass last year’s achievement by raising $6,000 for JDRF this year.

After a fantastic walk last year, Ellie and her family will once again be holding her birthday party at the 2008 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Walk to Cure Diabetes on Sunday, September 14th. Last year the team surpassed their goals, raising over $5800.  They had the largest family team with more than 100 people participating on “Ellie’s Quest for a Cure” team.

These 3+ years with diabetes have meant many things for Ellie: enduring over 12,000 finger pokes to test her blood sugar, honing her math skills by becoming an expert carbohydrate counter, being constantly attached to her insulin pump and at times a continuous glucose monitor, and all the while, just trying to do normal kid things like going to school, dance lessons, and soccer games.

The long term prospects for Ellie’s health as she lives with this disease has underscored for her family the importance of the work that JDRF is doing.  Without a cure, her future could hold many of the complications common to type 1 diabetes including blindness, amputation, and even early death.  Ellie has been fortunate to live in a time where she can wear a continuous glucose monitor and an insulin pump, thanks to the recent advances in research, but she still has to endure finger pricks and constant testing to stay alive.  Her family looks forward to the day when she can live a normal life, not attached to this life support system, and live happily ever after.

JDRF’s mission is to cure type 1 diabetes and its complications by funding research.  This fall over 500,000 walkers across the country will be walking with the hope of raising over $100 million to advance this mission.  With 85% of each dollar raised going directly toward research, JDRF has been able to drive many research advances, and put a cure for Type 1 Diabetes within reach.

Ellie’s Closet, limited edition designer clothing & wearable art for distinctive kids, is proud to be a sponser of Ellie’s team this year.  Part of their mission is to help find a cure for kids like Ellie by donating a portion of their profits to JDRF.  As another way to support children who face diabetes, they’ve developed special belt bags for children to carry their insulin pump in.  This item can be made to go with any of their garments, or from other fun fabrics and prints, and come plain or decorated.  They will also custom design changes to any of their garments, adding special pockets, etc. to make it easier for children to carry their necessary diabetic supplies with them.  Ellie’s Closet will have a table at the walk, with samples of their pump belts and brochures for families who wish to know more or place an order.

Walk details:
This fun 1 mile walk will take place on Sunday, September 14, 2008 around and through Elitch Gardens, Denver, CO at 9am.  Entertainment will begin at 7:30am. There are two ways you can help. All money given to JDRF is tax deductible.

To securely donate with a credit card online:
1.   Go to the JDRF website at www.jdrf.org.
2.   Look for the green sneaker in the middle/top of the page and click on the “Donate” link near the sneaker.
3.   In the “Donate to a Walker” section, enter Ellie’s name:  Ellie White of Colorado and then click on the “Find Walker” button.
4.   Click on Ellie’s name and then “Donate to This Walker”.  It will have a short page for you to complete with your information.
5.   A receipt will be generated automatically and emailed to you for tax purposes.

To learn more about the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, walk prizes and free admission to Elitch’s, and all that JDRF does to help find a cure for diabetes and its complications, please visit www.jdrf.org.

To learn more about Ellie’s Closet, please visit their website at www.ElliesCloset.com

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Ellie's Closet is Limited Edition Designer Clothing and Wearable Art for distinctive kids. Ellie's Closet was named after a little girl who has diabetes. As a way to give back and help children like Ellie, we give 10% of our profits to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF).