Friday, May 7, 2004

Tour de Cure for diabetes set for May As with most mothers of teenage girls, there are many hats that must be worn to restore order at home. But, Stephanie Harden of Gwinnett County wears hats that most parents might never become familiar with. Harden wears a chemist hat to determine the amount of hemoglobin to use; she wears a CPA hat to find creative ways to find financing, and she wears a mathematician hat to calculate the number of insulin to provide. While it may seem that Harden is a professor at an accredited university, she is actually a loving mother who wears these hats on a daily basis to care for her two twin daughters Ð both of whom were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a young age. For the past six years, Harden and her family have volunteered with American Diabetes Association (ADA) to help raise money for various events, including Tour de Cure (TDC), an annual ADA fundraising cycling event. TDC is a tour that includes a breezy 16-mile course, a fun 31-mile course, or a challenging 100K (62 miles) with several rest stops and route support along the way. Participants choose their own route. Tour de Cure is set for May 16 at the Clarence Duncan Memorial Park, 6000 Rivertown Road, in Fairburn. “I truly enjoy volunteering for the American Diabetes Association,” Harden said. “There is so much to do toward finding a cure for diabetes.” To register for Tour de Cure, please visit www.diabetes.org/tour or contact 404 -320-7100 x 3084, or call 1-888-DIABETES x3084, or email kbrammer@diabetes.org. The registration fee for Tour de Cure is $20 until May 9 or $25 from May 10-16. There is also a $100 minimum in contributions, which is due on or before the day of Tour de Cure. Don Neff, a National Accounts Product Specialist for Georgia-Pacific Corp., is one of the 2004 Tour de Cure Team Captains. Neff said he decided to get involved with ADA and Tour de Cure for personal reasons. “My father, along with several other family members, has diabetes so I understand how it can affect a family,” said Neff. “This event is a way to raise money, create awareness and get people to eat healthy and get regular medical check-ups.” We encourage everyone who cares about the issue of diabetes to register and get involved. The diabetes statistics in Georgia and in the U.S. are alarming! Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death in 2000, killing about 1,500 Georgians. There are 18 million people in the U.S. that have diabetes. Each day, about 2,740 people are diagnosed with diabetes. If you care about the issue of diabetes and want to find out how you can help, call 1-888-DIABETES. ADA is the nation’s leading nonprofit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy.ÊThe mission of the organization is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.