Local Bridges to Be Lit Blue on World Diabetes Day

Wellesley Hills, MA—November 13, 2018— On Wednesday, November 14 MassDOT will light up the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge and the Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge blue to show their support of JDRF on World Diabetes Day. This day is celebrated on November 14 every year in conjunction with National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM).

During NDAM, communities across the country team up to bring attention to type 1 and type 2 diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. Spreading awareness about the realities of life with type 1 diabetes (T1D)—like how to spot it, what must be done to take care of it, what research is being conducted—helps everyone who could potentially cross paths with someone who has T1D to be better educated about the disease.

JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, is the leading global organization funding

T1D research. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, the hormone that controls blood-sugar levels. People with T1D need to check their blood sugar levels and self-administer insulin multiple times a day–every day–for the rest of their lives. JDRF’s goal is to progressively remove the impact of T1D from people’s lives until we achieve a world without it.

T1D affects millions of people and can be diagnosed at any age. There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D, and, at present, there is no cure. Continued investments in promising research are needed to put an end to T1D and its devastating complications.

For more information about T1D or how to donate to JDRF, visit www.jdrf.org.

About JDRF

JDRF is the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Our mission is to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat T1D and its complications. To accomplish this, JDRF has invested nearly $2 billion since our inception. We are an organization built on a grassroots model of people connecting in their local communities, collaborating regionally for efficiency and broader fundraising impact, and uniting on a national stage to pool resources, passion, and energy. We collaborate with academic institutions, policymakers, and corporate and industry partners to develop and deliver a pipeline of innovative therapies to people living with T1D. Our staff and volunteers in JDRF New England, and in more than 100 locations throughout the United States and our six international affiliates, are dedicated to advocacy, community engagement and our vision of a world without T1D. For more information, please visit www.jdrf.org/newengland.