November 15, 2015
Must Dash for a Cure is on Sunday, November 15 from 9AM to 1PM on the lower softball field of San Elijo Park. Bring your family and friends out for a fun event designed to raise awareness for Type 1 Diabetes and to raise funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).
Type 1 Diabetes is often confused with Type 2 Diabetes and this misperception is one of the many struggles for those suffering with the disease. Type 1 is a disease for which there is currently no cure. Unlike Type 2, it is not caused by diet or lifestyle. Instead, it is an auto-immune disease that causes the pancreas to stop producing insulin. Type 1 Diabetes requires constant monitoring of blood sugar and is a very life-threatening, life-altering disease.
Must Dash for a Cure was started by the Gidner family together with a bunch of support from friends and neighbors last year. The Gidner family has lived in San Elijo Hills for over 10 years. Damon and Janet Gidner, both teachers here in San Marcos, bought their home in San Elijo before they had children in hopes of raising a family here. In January of 2006, their daughter Addison was born a very healthy baby, but not long after her first birthday she experienced a scary health episode, which was diagnosed as Type 1 diabetes.
This diagnosis changed the lives of everyone in the Gidner family. As parents, Janet and Damon received a crash course on what Type 1 diabetes is and how to care for someone who has the disease. Since that day, they have been required to diligently monitor their daughter’s blood sugars all day and all night. This requires fingertip pricks and injections and the stress of knowing one wrong decision could be fatal. In addition, and against all odds, the Gidner’s son was also diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. One can only imagine what it would be like to help manage this type of disease for two children. And, both fo these children will be required to manage the disease on their own one day as adults as there is currently no cure.
Together we can help change that. In an effort to raise awareness and to take action that will help move research along more quickly in hopes of a cure, the Gidner family came up with the idea of this fun run to benefit JDRF. Working together with the San Elijo Hills Foundation, they were able to host Must Dash for the Cure, which raised about $9K and then they found a matching grant which brought the total raised to about $18K.
Since the time of last year’s event, amazing things have happened. The Gidner family and the cause have both received a tremendous amount of publicity and support. This event right here in our backyard has had a ripple effect throughout the area and beyond thanks to social media and the visibility of the event. Our community really stepped up to have an impact and help give the Gidners a bigger voice for the cause.
Please join all of us on Sunday, November 15 at San Elijo Park lower softball field for the second Must Dash for a Cure. Tickets are $25 for adults. Kids 3-12 are $15 and children 2 and under are free.
Whether you run, skip or just come hang out, this is an event you won’t want to miss it. There will be fun raffles and silent auction items. Even more importantly, there will be a strong sense of community as we come together as a community to shine a light on a disease that needs more research and solutions.
Leave a Reply