Chicago Sky Walks for Diabetes

Photos | Served by the Sky ADA Event

The Chicago Sky teamed up with the American Diabetes Association for their 2011 Step Out Walk: Walk to Stop Diabetes event over the weekend. The walk raised funds for diabetes research to prevent and manage diabetes, as well as one day find a cure.

The walk began at 10:00 a.m. and walkers, their families, friends, children and even some dogs were excited to walk the 5k (3.1 miles) along Chicago�s beautiful lakefront on a gorgeous sunny day. More than 2,200 people, along with 250 volunteers came out to make the event possible. After the walk all participants enjoyed food and music to celebrate the fundraising accomplishments of all the teams and individual participants.

�We are so thrilled to have the Sky, as well as the other organizations, participate in our walk today to lend a hand in the fight against diabetes,� said Bridget Gutrich, Associate Director for Step Out Chicago.

Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is the American Diabetes Association�s signature fundraising walk taking place in 165 cities across the United States to help raise money to find a cure for nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes and to help improve their lives.

�We are out here today to stop diabetes,� said Jennet Flom, American Diabetes Executive Director of the Northern Illinois Chicago Office. �All of our teams of families, friends and organizations have been raising money throughout the course of the year to benefit the American Diabetes Association and this is the celebration event for all that hard work.�

225 teams walked in this year�s event. Each team was made up of ten people and in all the teams raised $269,533.44 for diabetes research.

�With the help of this event the American Diabetes Association will have raised $450,000 at the end of this year,� Flom continued. �We are really excited and I think we have broken a record for fundraising this year, and we feel great about where we are.�

The Sky, WNBA and NBA all have teamed up with the American Diabetes Association this past year in a strategic alliance to create awareness for this disease through Dribble to Stop Diabetes. Dribble to Stop Diabetes promotes the importance of healthy, active lifestyles, as well as diabetes awareness, prevention and management.

Each year, diabetes takes more than 300,000 lives - that�s more than AIDS and breast cancer combined. Since 1940, the American Diabetes Association has been the nation�s leading voluntary health organization serving all people with diabetes.

For more information about diabetes or Dribble to Stop Diabetes contact the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org.