Let’s fight diabetes, turn out for ‘Blake’s Dream Team’

Mark your calendars for Saturday, Feb. 25. On this morning, teams from the Cedar Valley will be joining to raise money for the fight against diabetes at the Crossroads Mall in Waterloo.

At the young age of six, junior student Blake Zimmerman was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Zimmerman said, “I was on a trip to my grandparents’ house when my parents decided to take me to the hospital. I had been showing some odd signs, such as having to go to the bathroom eight times on an eight-hour trip. After a whirlwind of various hospitals and a week of getting better and learning how to take care of my diabetes, I was released to start my new life.”

This weekend, Zimmerman and junior student Makenna Carroll will be gearing up for “Blake’s Dream Team” in order to raise money for the cause.

Carroll said, “The morning will consist of walking with your ‘team’ around the mall in order to raise money and awareness for this foundation and for kids all over.”

Donations as well as the purchasing of the “Blake’s Dream Team” T-shirt will both assist in helping the team reach the goal.

Carroll said, “The goal is to have a competitive way to raise money and support our friends and family. ‘Blake’s Dream Team’s’ goal is to raise $7,000 that goes straight to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. We are more than halfway there. Every T-shirt or donation helps.”

Zimmerman added, “The goal is to raise as much money as we can so that some day nobody will have to deal with checking blood, measuring insulin or changing a pump site. At the very least, I want those in the future to be able to manage it better.”

Even without attendance in the event this weekend, there are several ways to get involved with the fight against diabetes.

Carroll said, “This is an annual event that takes place at Crossroads. Volunteering and donating at least one of the years will help the foundation and raise awareness. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has helped so many families. They have invested more $116 million to various artificial pancreas projects, which impacts millions of lives.”

Though diabetes has negatively impacted thousands of lives, Zimmerman offers a message of hope for those battling, “Don’t get discouraged. Diabetes is an easy thing to manage, and if we take care of it, the worst parts can be avoided. One thing I have learned is to look for the positives. I have made friends across the world through this disease. While it is a terrible thing to have, some good can come of it.”

So join the team. Turn out this Saturday and help Blake and everyone there in the fight against diabetes.