Despite the cooler weather, the Humboldt and District Juvenile Diabetes Walk got a good number of people out from Humboldt, Watson, Annaheim, Wadena, Watrous, and more to raise awareness for juvenile diabetes and funds for research.
The event is one of many similar walks put on by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and this particular walk raised more than $33,000.
“It’s a really great opportunity for families to network and talk to other families,” said Maria Strasser, a member of the walk committee.
Registration began at 10 a.m. on June 14 at the Humboldt Uniplex. People signed up, got goodies (such as t-shirts and bags), and listened to speeches by the event’s two youth ambassadors: James Burkhart of Humboldt and Ashton Nakrayko of Wadena. Burkhart talked about his experience being diagnosed with diabetes and how it hasn’t stopped him from being involved with sports, while Nakrayko talked about what it’s like having diabetes.
In Canada, there are over 300,000 people with Type I diabetes. It’s an autoimmune disorder that the people who have it can’t control, whereas Type II diabetes can be brought on by a sedentary lifestyle or an unhealthy diet.
“It is something that these kids and young adults have for life,” Strasser said.
Part of the purpose of the walk is to increase education and awareness so people know there’s no cure and it can be a struggle for young people who have it.
“I think a lot of people think diabetes is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle,” Burkhart’s mother, Candace Burkhart, said. “Type I is completely different from Type II. Type I there’s nothing you can control about it.”
To treat his diabetes, James Burkhart has an insulin pump and counts carbs and gets blood tests, and he said that after his diagnosis in 2013, everyone was very supportive.
“(The walk) went wonderfully. I think it went fantastic. Lots of money was raised,” Candace Burkhart said. “I think we had a good turnout.”
