CHARLOTTE, NC — On Saturday, April 6th the JDRF Greater Western Carolinas Chapter kicks off its 29th annual One Walk at Carowinds. Aiming to raise over $750,000 to help fund critically needed type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, the event is expected to attract more than 6,000 supporters, including teams representing local businesses, families, schools and other organizations.
The event is one of approximately 200 JDRF One Walks nationwide that bring together hundreds of thousands of people each year who share JDRF’s vision to create a world without T1D.
Novant Health is the 2019 JDRF One Walk Presenting Sponsor, and Carl Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health, is the Walk’s Corporate Chair. Armato has lived with T1D himself for over 50 years.
“Each year more than 40,000 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the United States,” explains Jamie Hayes, Executive Director of JDRF Greater Western Carolinas. “We are thankful for the generosity of the Charlotte community, our volunteers, donors and corporate sponsors like Novant Health for their continued support. Every participant and supporter of the JDRF One Walk helps us fund critical research that can lead to scientific breakthroughs and ultimately a cure.”
JDRF encourages people of all ages driven to support a great cause to participate in JDRF One Walk and enjoy a day of family-friendly fun, with Larry Sprinkle as Emcee, Carl Armato as presenting speaker, and a fun walk route past the new Carowinds rollercoaster Copperhead Strike.
Pre-registration is highly recommended and on-site check-in begins at 7:00 AM in Carowinds. The entire JDRF One Walk will be approximately 2 miles long.
JDRF One Walk is the largest and most powerful peer-to-peer fundraising program in the world for T1D.
Since 1992, the event has raised more than $1 billion for T1D research. This funding has enabled research on how to prevent, delay and ultimately cure T1D. It has led to life-changing drugs, treatments and devices, many of which have already moved into clinical trials and real-world testing.
“Novant Health is excited to continue to partner with JDRF to help raise funds and awareness about type 1 diabetes research,” said Armato. “As a person who has lived with this disease since I was 18 months old, I can say, without the funding JDRF provides for research and education, there is no doubt my life, and millions of other lives, would look very different today. JDRF, Novant Health and I share one goal: to create a world without T1D.”
JDRF gratefully acknowledges its local corporate partners for Greater Western Carolina’s Walk, including but not limited to Novant Health, Sunbelt Rentals, Brothers- Heating, Cooling, Plumbing, Johnston Allison and Hord, LabCorp, and Rosendin Electric.
