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Alro to participate in Annual Walk to Cure Diabetes

09/11/05--Alro Steel participated in the Annual 2005 Walk to Cure Diabetes on September 10, 2005 in Jackson, Michigan. The Jackson Walk raised $255,000 with several Alro employees contributing. Below is an article from the Jackson Citizen Patriot.

Jackson walkers raise $255,000
By Jaclyn Roeschke
jroeschke@citpat.com - 768-4945

About $255,000 was raised Saturday during Jackson County's 2005 Walk to Cure Diabetes, part of the nation's biggest juvenile diabetes fund-raiser.

Cities of comparable size usually take in about $50,000 per year, but Jackson's event for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has raised much more every year, said Bob Craft, co-chair of the walk.

"Jackson's a very giving community, and on a national scale we have surpassed any per capita totals in the country," he said.

Although last year's event raised $75,000 more than this year, during its seven years of existence Jackson's walk has raised more than $2 million.
Organizers attribute this year's dip to the large fund-raising effort for Hurricane Katrina victims.

"We saw the same thing happen when the walk was six days after Sept. 11,"
said Craft's wife, Debbie, who also co-chairs the event. "People feel a need to split their funds. But that's OK, because a lot of people down South with diabetes are hardest hit because they can't get insulin."

About 3,000 people took part in this year's 3-mile walk at Ella Sharp Park.
Many walkers, such as Colleen Beilfuss, have been directly affected by the disease. Her 3-year-old son, Andrew, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in July.

"It affects his life every day in many ways," she said. "He gets four shots a day and we have to watch all his activities. He can't have the sweets he loves."

Beilfuss' friends and family, 12 of whom participated in the walk, raised about $600 for the event.

"Events like this raise awareness for the disease," said Beilfuss of Jackson.

"They will help us find a cure."

For more information on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, click here