RALEIGH, N.C., June 1, 2017 – The Triangle/Eastern NC Chapter of JDRF, the leading research and advocacy organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, celebrated its 14th annual Hope Gala at North Ridge Country Club on Saturday, April 29. More than 400 attendees, including families affected by T1D, corporate sponsors and philanthropic leaders, raised $950,000 in support of JDRF’s mission to create a world without Type 1 diabetes.

This year’s theme was “Hope in Old Havana: Leaving T1D in the Past.” Debra Morgan of WRAL emceed the black tie event, which featured JDRF’s signature “Fund A Cure” donation program, a cocktail reception, multi-course dinner, silent, super-silent and live auctions, and a dueling piano band.

Each year, the Hope Gala Living and Giving Award is given in recognition of outstanding leadership by an individual, family or organization whose determination and tenacious efforts have championed JDRF’s mission. This year, the award was presented to Robert Buhler, Chairman of MMI.

Proceeds from the event will go directly to research and treatments of T1D. Over the past ten years, JDRF has directly impacted the Triangle community by giving more than $15 million in research grants to local institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel, North Carolina State University, Duke University and Wake Forest University.

QUOTES:

“I am deeply moved and humbled by the generous support of our local community that allowed us to reach this milestone achievement of raising nearly $1 million for T1D research in a single evening,” said Chris LaTurno, Triangle JDRF executive director. “On behalf of our Triangle chapter, local chapter board, and JDRF as a whole, thank you to all of the donors, volunteers and partners who attended this year’s Hope Gala and have contributed time and money towards helping end T1D once and for all.”

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ABOUT TYPE 1 DIABETES:

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that impacts millions of people around the world. The disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a hormone essential to turning food into energy. Without insulin, glucose from food stays in the blood, where it can cause serious damage to all of the body’s organ systems. It requires constant carbohydrate counting, blood-glucose testing, and lifelong dependence on injected insulin. With T1D there are no days off, and there is no cure.

ABOUT JDRF:

JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without T1D. JDRF collaborates with a wide spectrum of partners and is the only organization with the scientific resources, regulatory influence and a working plan to bring life-changing therapies from the lab to the community. As the largest charitable supporter of T1D research, JDRF is currently sponsoring $568 million in charitable research in 17 countries. For more information, please visit jdrf.org.

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