For over 40 years, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has been a leader in the search for an end to type 1 diabetes; working with those living with the disease and their families, to help them live healthier, easier, and safer lives. Their mission hits close to home for the Cambridge Group of Clubs’ family, as our very own CEO, Clive Caldwell, has been a type 1 diabetic for 32 years.
There are many misconceptions about type 1 diabetes. Years ago, type 1 diabetes was referred to as juvenile diabetes, with most insulin-dependent diabetics being diagnosed when they were children, but this is no longer the case. Clive is a perfect example – he was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic at age 35.
Furthermore, many believe that type 1 diabetes can be cured by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, exercising, or quitting smoking. But this simply isn’t the case, there is no “cure” for type 1 diabetes. With over 3 million Canadians living with diabetes, it’s important to note that only approximately 5% of those diabetics suffer from type 1 diabetes, while 95% suffer from type 2 diabetes. These type 2 diabetics, who are oftentimes more overweight and have put too much strain on their pancreas, can deal with their illness by making the aforementioned lifestyle changes.
Advancements in the research have made it so that type 1 diabetics now have the necessary tools to manage their disease, but there is still a long way to go – and that’s where A Night of Promise comes in.
Last week, Clive and Lorna sponsored a table and attended the JDRF’s A Night of Promise, accompanied by the Adelaide Club’s GM Matt Cassells, the Cambridge Club’s GM Paul Hudson, and the Toronto Athletic Club’s GM Callum Wright, and their wives.
Kicking off National Diabetes Awareness Month, A Night of Promise is one of Toronto’s premiere fundraising events, with proceeds from the event going towards funding critical type 1 diabetes research. This year, Bonnie and Terry Jackson, and the rest of the Jackson family, were honoured for their tireless support and relentless commitment to advancing ground-breaking type 1 diabetes research.
This year’s A Night of Promise raised nearly $1,000,000. The Cambridge Group of Clubs is proud to support the JDRF and their continued mission to better the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes.