Greenwich to Mark First Ever Diabetes Awareness Week

Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei will sign a proclamation declaring the week of Sept. 15 as Greenwich’s first ever Diabetes Awareness Week in a Town Hall ceremony Wednesday, Sept. 3.

The proclamation signing, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. is part of a town effort to encourage residents to support and recognize the work that the American Diabetes Association is doing to find a cure for diabetes.

Hope Jayes, event manager for the American Diabetes Association said in a statement, “This is a monumental event in Greenwich. By proclaiming a week dedicated to diabetes awareness, the good health and well-being of the residents of the state of Connecticut are enhanced as a direct result of increased awareness and research into early detection, causes, and effective treatments of diabetes.”

There are a series of events scheduled for the week of Sept. 15. To kick it off, Whole Foods Market Greenwich will be hosting an Under the Tent event where Greenwich Hospital will be taking blood pressures, a dietitian will be discussing healthy lifestyle choices, and the ADA will be giving Diabetes Risk Tests. On Monday, Sept. 15, Greenwich Hospital’s Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Nancy Ryan will give a talk titled, “Change Your Future, Fight Diabetes” at Greenwich Library. On Friday, Sept. 19, town employees are invited to a Lunch & Learn also sponsored by Whole Foods Market Greenwich with Nancy Ryan.

The culminating event supporting the American Diabetes is the “Change the Future” gala at the Greenwich Country Club on Nov. 4. The event will help raise money to support diabetes research, advocacy, educational programs and local community initiatives. The evening includes a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and aperitifs followed by a seated five-course dinner with wine pairings selected by Chamard Vineyards. Talented and entertaining Master Chefs will prepare a unique and interactive multi-media farm-to-plate culinary experience.

Diabetes has reached epidemic status in the United States, every 14 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes, and 79 million people have pre-diabetes. More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, including 930,000 Connecticut residents, with 60,000 of them living in Fairfield County. If current trends continue, one out of every three children born in the United States after the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

For more information about Diabetes Awareness Week or the Change of the Future Gala contact Hope Jayes at the American Diabetes Association at 203.639.0385 ext: 3536 or hjayes@diabetes.org.