Letters From Away

A former boss, Diane Barney, is riding in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure on May 1 in Napa.

Those of you who are able – especially those who have diabetics in your family or know diabetics at work or the gym or wherever – should click here for the link to the website where you can pledge to back Diane in the ride. Or follow the link to find information on how to join the effort, either as a rider or by making a pledge to another rider.

The event is part of a series of fund-raising cycling events held in more than 40 U.S. states. You can find out more about the event on the website.

My kid sister has been a diabetic since she was, well, a kid. Diabetics have a wide range of health challenges, the worst of which include blindness, poor blood circulation that can lead to amputations, and even death. Diabetes is a very, very serious illness, but does not seem to garner the type of attention – especially in research funding – that it should.

Diane, now the communications director at NorthBay Healthcare Systems in Fairfield, CA, made this pitch earlier today to her Facebook friends:

“I’m riding 25 miles in the Tour de Cure, a fund-raising cycling event to help stop diabetes. Any friend who would like to pledge me can click directly to this page and use a credit card. How convenient, right? Any amount is fine – 10 cents a mile is only $2.50 – less than a grande latte at Starbucks! And it’s for a great cause!”

So, skip that grande latte and support the demise of a hideous disease. Click on this link and back Diane in the ride. Or follow the link to the American Diabetes Association website on the Tour de Cure and find a city near you where you can participate in a ride – either as a rider or a donor.

Stop diabetes in our lifetime!