(Submitted file photo/Maria Strasser, Humboldt and Area Team T1D)

By Ben Tompkins

JDRF

Humboldt Diabetes Walk returns to in-person after two years of virtual

Jun 2, 2022 | 1:04 PM

For the first time since 2019, the annual Humboldt and District Walk to cure diabetes will be held in person. This Sunday, June 5, will mark the 18th year of the event being held.

The goal of the walk is to raise funds for the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) to find a cure for Type 1 Diabetes and to improve the lives of those living with this disease.

Walk committee member, Maria Strasser, said as much as this walk serves wonderfully as a fundraiser, there is another extremely important aspect.

“The more awareness we can create, the more we can let people know what the early signs and symptoms are of Type 1 diabetes, that stops a lot of people from getting seriously ill when they’re first diagnosed. If they know a little bit more about the disease, then they can pick up those early warning signs and it prevents a lot of really acute illnesses at the beginning.”

And according to Strasser, there’s no better way to build awareness than being able to bring everyone together again, after two straight years of virtual walks.

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“This event just brings families together and provides support for them. We get to see a lot of people in the community that we don’t get to see otherwise and you get to meet other people who are also affected by Type 1,” she said. “There’s just a lot of support and education that comes from getting together, so it’s a really big thing for us all to be able to walk together on Sunday.”

Each year local families are chosen to be ambassadors for the walk. This year’s youth ambassador is Alayna Ell, a 10-year-old girl from Humboldt who was diagnosed with Type 1 in December 2021. Alayna and her family are passionate about this cause and would love to share their story and experience with a new diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes.

“It’s just so great when a family like that goes through a diagnosis and is able to call up somebody and say, ‘hey, this is happening to us, you know, what can we do, what do we need to know that sort of thing’,” said Strasser.

Registration for the walk begins at 10 a.m. at the Humboldt Uniplex Lobby, with opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. and the walk starting at 11:15 a.m. There will be drinks and snacks at the rest stops and a free BBQ lunch at noon sponsored by A&W for all those that participate.

There are over 93,000 Saskatchewan residents impacted by diabetes and over 80 cents of every dollar raised will go directly towards research.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8