On Sunday, Oct. 1, JDRF, a non-profit organization that raises funds to help promote research for type one diabetes, held their annual walk in Ashland, Neb. at Mahoney State Park.
This is the third annual JDRF walk at Mahoney State Park. For the past two years it has been held at Mahoney. This year for the walk, everybody raised a total of $370,175 with a goal of $498,050. The walk itself is 2.5 miles and takes around an hour to complete, give or take. But there is much more to the walk than the walk itself.
“My family has supported me in numerous ways,” junior Nolan Gomes said. “They all participate in the walk every year with me and they always make sure we go to the JDRF gala no matter what we have going on. They are always by my side no matter how the day is going with my numbers.”
JDRF’s goal with every walk is to help fund all 1.45 million Americans living with type one diabetes. At the Mahoney State Park JDRF walk, there were many businesses there to help support everyone with type one diabetes as well as all the walkers. The businesses that were there were Hy-Vee handing out pizza, Pepsi vendors handing out drinks, and many other local businesses.
“Ever since I have been going to the JDRF walks for type one diabetes, I have felt like I’m a part of a community,” sixth grader Mae Carmichael said. “My favorite part of the JDRF walk is that I get to see all my family be supportive. I also enjoy the walk because I get to see how many other people have type one diabetes and it helps me know that people are fighting the same thing as me.”
The walk consisted of people wearing different shirts supporting their people, there were also tents set up for people who needed a break during the walk. There were volunteers handing out water and Gatorade throughout the walk to help people stay hydrated. They also had snacks like popcorn and granola bars at the end for people to snack on while they waited for their friends and family.
“The JDRF walk is one of my favorite events for people with type one diabetes,” Mae’s Mother Katie Carmichael said. “The cool thing about the walk is seeing all the volunteers and businesses come out and support everyone who has type one diabetes. I also think it is amazing how many people show up for this event and how much money is raised.”
The Mahoney State Park JDRF walk was a success and many memories were made between friends and family. Many people can’t wait for the walk next fall.
