43RD ANNUAL SPRING BRASS RING RAISES NEARLY $115,000 FOR PEOPLE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES

April 19, 2021
A banner for the spring brass ring with flowers on it.

(DENVER — April 14, 2021) – Emcee Brit Moreno, from the CBS4 morning show, and featured fashion designs by Lourdes Chavez lent their talent and style to the Spring Brass Ring Virtual Fundraiser & Silent Auction on Thursday, April 8, 2021. The event raised nearly $115,000 in donations and silent auction bids to benefit The Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC). People with type 1 diabetes from the BDC and their families were featured, along with their physicians, who highlighted the comprehensive services and support provided by the center. The event closed with a virtual advocate fashion show featuring children with type 1 diabetes in their fanciest outfits.

Brit kicked off the annual Spring Brass Ring with some staggering statistics about type 1 diabetes and the impact of the BDC. Over 75,000 children and adults, including 85% of children with type 1 diabetes, are currently being seen at the BDC. Over the last three years the number of people living with type 1 diabetes has grown nearly 30%, to 1.6 million. Of those, more than 180,000 are children younger than 20 years old. Increasing diagnoses emphasize the importance of the Spring Brass Ring – which is the largest fundraising event of the year hosted by the Guild.

Event proceeds benefit the Guild of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation to fund research, promote diabetes awareness and education, assist families in need, provide scholarships, and sponsor activities for children and their families. The Guild is a volunteer membership group of the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes with nearly 300 members dedicated to the tireless fight to conquer diabetes. 

After recognizing event sponsors and giving a heartfelt thank you to the teams who made this virtual event possible, Brit introduced Type 1 Hero Everly Gouker, age 6, to give an opening prayer. Guild President Lisa Corley wore an exquisite pink Lourdes Chavez design while introducing event co-chairs Dave Barnes and Scottie Taylor Iverson. More Lourdes Chavez one-of-a-kind designs and sketches were showcased, and Lisa announced that Lourdes Chavez will be the featured designer at next year’s in-person Spring Brass Ring. Dr. Todd Alonzo, Associate Professor and Assistant Medical Director at the BDC, provided an overview of patient care, the multi-disciplinary team, and the emotional and educational process families go through during and after diagnosis.

Casey and Charity Hadford understand this process all too well. Three out of their four children were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within just a year and a half – and the BDC was there for all of them. Casey and Charity shared their experiences with the nurses, educators, and social workers at the BDC, who were hands-on with their support during each traumatic diagnosis. Charity says she got the greatest relief from a social worker who validated and assured her that grieving is a normal and acceptable part of this journey.

Xiomara Hernandez, who was diagnosed at age 14 in December 2020, was also featured alongside her Spanish-speaking mother and father, Juanita and Sergio Hernandez. The family expressed how thankful they are to the BDC for taking them in like family during such a shocking time. The Hernandez’s said they felt confident asking questions and gaining the education necessary for Xiomara to manage her diagnosis and treatment without fear. Sergio says, “My family is stronger and more united because of the BDC.”

Using these emotional and inspiring stories as the backdrop, the 2020 Colorado State Champion Auctioneer, Halie Behr, kicked-off the fundraising. Donned in another gorgeous Lourdes Chavez dress, and with the help of Dr. Alonzo, Halie described the impact of donations at every level. From $25,000 to $25, all donations support the insulin, supplies, and medical care necessary. Life sustaining costs for type 1 diabetes is more than $20,000 a year without medical insurance. Even though more than 40% of BDC patients are not insured or under insured, and more than 35% of families are living at or below the poverty level, no child is turned away from the BDC. These critical donations go toward everything from meal assistance, travel accommodations, and emergency support, to life changing insulin pumps, artificial pancreas technology, and glucose meters. Donations at all levels provide necessary resources to manage this life-threatening diagnosis and make living with diabetes more manageable.

With donations flooding in, Dr. Shideh Majidi, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Endocrinology, announced a new program coming to the BDC to support diabetes care from childhood to adulthood. The program addresses a common spike in both AIC levels, and family conflict, during adolescence. As children grow and become more independent, new activities – like school, sports, sleep overs, parties, and college – present new demands to diabetes maintenance. Overall, the program will support increasing autonomy and normal adolescent behavior as it relates to diabetes care.

The event closed with an advocate fashion show, including accessories provided by Dan Sharp Luxury. Type 1 models showed off their fancy looks and beautiful smiles as they walked the runway to the delight of event participants. Models included Emerson Weis, Corinne Watne, Keaton Isakson, Everly Gouker, Frankie Hodgson, Keller Sears, Margot Rea, Miles Scott, Alice Hanson, Carson Wedding, Ryder Terry, McKenna Deathridge, and Hailey Kiker.

During the event, $61,058 was raised between donations and the silent auction, which opened April 1. With just an hour left to donate and bid, the Guild raised a grand total of nearly $115,000 towards their goal of $130,000. Donations are still coming in to benefit the Children’s Diabetes Foundation.

Premier sponsors for the 43rd Annual Spring Brass Ring include The Crazy Merchant, Inc., iCIMS Talent Cloud, and Steve & Shelley Lucas. Official media sponsors: Colorado Expression Magazine, and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine. Angel sponsors: Cigna, Nexgen, and Judy & Charlie McNeil. Corporate sponsors: The Corley Legacy Foundation, G5 Financial Group, Morgan Stanley, Dan Sharp Luxury, Sterling Ranch Colorado, and Syntrinsic Investment Council. Media partners: CBS4, KBCO, and The Villager Newspaper.

For more information about the event visit https://www.childrensdiabetesfoundation.org/event/2021-spring-brass-ring/

Event Hashtag:        #SpringBrassRing

Website:                   ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org

Facebook:                Children’s Diabetes Foundation

Twitter:                      @CDFdiabetes

Instagram:                 @cdfdiabetes

About the Children’s Diabetes FoundationThe Children’s Diabetes Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, focusing on patient support, diabetes research, and public awareness. The Children’s Diabetes Foundation, located in Denver, was established by Barbara and Marvin Davis in 1977 after their daughter, Dana, developed diabetes at the age of seven. The non-profit organization is dedicated solely to the support of research in diabetes and to provide the best possible clinical and educational programs for people with the disease. The Foundation’s mission is to raise funds to support the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes and its world-renowned research programs, where thousands of patients with type 1 diabetes, children and adults alike, receive the finest diabetes care available. Thanks to the generous funding provided to the Center, all patients are welcome, regardless of their financial status.


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From Generosity to Legacy: Honoring My Father’s Impact on Type 1 Diabetes this Father’s Day

June 14, 2024
By: Stacy Robinson With Father’s Day just around the corner, I am thinking about my dad even more than I usually do. He was a special man who lived a remarkable, impactful life right up until the day he passed away at the age of 98, a little over a year and a half ago. He was a decorated World War II veteran, a bookie in Vegas during the Rat Pack era who married the love of his life between rounds of a prize fight, and who later went on to become a successful entrepreneur. Most importantly though, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.
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Cheers to The World’s Greatest T1Dad!

June 14, 2024
Author: Lindsay Klatt Being the dad of two daughters already has its highs and lows; having one of them (who admittedly was already a little feisty) diagnosed with type 1 diabetes makes him a saint. My wonderful dad navigated these challenges with such love and grace. As we approach Father’s Day and as I recently celebrated my 27th Diaversary, I reflect on the things he deserves to be thanked for. There are too many to count and no way to properly express gratitude for the additional struggles type 1 fathers face, but here’s a toast to a few of the things etched on my heart: Cheers to my dad who, when I was diagnosed, had the best balance of acknowledging the sadness of the event and being encouraging for the future. It made me feel seen to see him upset, and to see him determined. He has always maintained that balance I am so grateful for.
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Racing Against the Odds: Dylan Archer’s Triumph Over Type 1 Diabetes

March 8, 2024
Hi, my name is Dylan Archer and I have type 1 diabetes, and I LOVE to race! Type 1 is NOT stopping me! When I was 5 years old, way back in 2013, Dad picked me up from school, and (as usual) we started talking about racing. Dad started racing when he was 16, and we often talked about how much fun it was. Well, this conversation ended a bit differently because Dad asked if I was ready! I got my first go-kart that summer, and in no time, I was hooked! It was a little scary at first, but once I started to go fast I sure had fun! For the first couple of years of racing, I was reaching for the stars. That first trophy made me feel so good, and I knew that I had to get more! But then in 2016, I wasn’t feeling so good, so Mom took me to the doctor. Turns out I had type 1 diabetes. Wow, I wasn’t ready for that news (and neither was my family). It turned my whole world upside down. We had to figure out a way to manage this unexpected, scary thing that was happening to me.
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Eagle Scout Project on Type 1 Diabetes

January 9, 2024
By: Sarah Hathaway On October 10th, 2022 I earned my Life rank in Scouts BSA and began focusing on what was once a faraway goal: Eagle Scout. I had some ideas for my project and I knew I wanted to do something that means a lot to me and benefits as many people as possible; this led me to think about the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. I am an advocate for the organization and I know CDF has made an impact on others just like me so I was hoping I could come up with a plan to help families affected by T1D. I reached out to the Community Engagement Manager, Sydney. I believe that she was really confused and might not have heard about Eagle Projects before so she asked all about what I was looking to do and we talked about different options for projects. I asked her about the newly diagnosed onset bags for people with T1D that I remembered receiving from CDF when I was diagnosed in 2021. This was last June and we were both volunteering at the T1D Strong soccer camp. As camp went on we talked a lot and I offered some more ideas and the plan started coming together. I started to talk to diabetes-related companies to get additional informational materials to put in the bags. I got in contact with Dino from Omnipod and he was very helpful. He sent me a lot of informational packets, games, and even fake Omnipods for new patients to try before spending a lot of money on new technology. Unfortunately, other companies and organizations were not as responsive but there was already a lot of helpful stuff from CDF to go into the bags. I also did a fundraiser before my Eagle Project workday. I set a goal to raise money to put a restaurant gift card in each new onset bag because I remember going to lunch together as a family when I was discharged from the hospital. I knew that families could use that gift card and not have to worry about where to go. As I was fundraising, I found out that the Scouts BSA district person that I was working with, Pat, was associated with KFC. Pat put me in contact with the Regional Manager of KFC and through this contact, KFC donated 100 gift cards for the bags. Finally, on November 11th, 2023, I was able to carry out my project. I had been planning this for months and I was both nervous and excited. Sydney was kind enough to be at the CDF office on a day that she does not normally work and was so supportive. We set up the office to pack the bags and then people started to show up to help. We were able to do the project and even though we were only going to make 100 bags, the group ended up filling about 150 bags in less than an hour! Sydney and I then did a community information talk to over 30 people about our experiences with T1D and answered a lot of questions. It was awesome to look out in the audience at my Scout friends, neighbors, teachers, and family.
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On the Field: Competitive Soccer with T1D

January 9, 2024
My name is Gracie Lambrecht and I have been living with type 1 diabetes for 12 of the 16 years of my life. Even though I lived for a few years T1D-less, I can’t remember a life without it and while I wish I could say it’s been a walk in the park to deal with, it most definitely has not. As a kid, the burden of pricking fingers, changing pump sites, and treating low blood sugars at midnight was not something that I was really tasked with handling. My parents took the responsibility of my diabetes care so I could be as “normal” of a kid as I could be. As I got older, I began taking more responsibility for my care and now, as a junior in high school, I completely manage my diabetes on my own. As an extremely active high school student, finding time to do anything outside of class, mock trials, and competitive soccer is pretty difficult. Starting off, I want to say that no matter the final exam you have or the big game you might have coming up, your health ALWAYS comes first. Never procrastinate or ignore the needs of your T1D health for any reason and always prioritize taking care of yourself over everything else. While balancing school, sports, and T1D can be stressful at times, taking the right precautions and handling your diabetes care in the moment can make it easily manageable. I want to share, specifically how I manage playing soccer with type 1 diabetes. I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old. I actually started playing soccer just before I was diagnosed with T1D. I don’t remember much of that time in my life, but my mom knew something was wrong when I would only play for 5 minutes before begging to come off the field for water. After being diagnosed, I stopped playing soccer for a few years in order to better understand how to manage my T1D. After those years, I joined a club soccer team and haven’t stopped playing since. I currently play for the Colorado Rapids North ECNL- Regional League team. On this team, I have the opportunity to play against some of the toughest competition in the nation and the opportunity to be scouted by college soccer coaches. Most games that I play with this team involve at least an hour of travel when we play in Colorado, but we also travel out of the state to Utah, North Carolina, Florida, and other places. A usual week of training consists of: -(3) 1.5 hour outdoor trainings -(2+) 90 minute games -Occasional strength training In order to keep my blood sugars in a target range for playing (I feel most comfortable with my BG between 100-150), I not only make sure that I am eating the right foods in the right amounts, but I also utilize the exercise mode function on my Tandem (T-Slim) insulin pump. “Exercise mode” is a function on my pump that keeps my BG around 150 mg/dl by suspending insulin delivery when my sugars start to drop below 150. To go into further detail, for me, a typical game day looks like this (depending on the time of the game): -3 hours before: I eat a large meal (with a good amount of protein and carbs). My favorite pregame lunch is a Turkey and Cheese sandwich with a small bag of chips and a cup of chocolate milk. -1.5 hours before (30 minutes before warmups): I check my BG via my Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitor and if: Under 100: treat with 15 grams of sugar (I usually drink a 15g Apple Juice box) and go on Exercise mode for 3 hours. 100-150: Have a 15-20 gram snack (I would usually eat a granola bar) and go on exercise mode for 3 hours. Over 150: Go on exercise mode for 3 hours. -10-20 minutes after the game: I check BG and have a snack/meal with protein to replenish nutrients (I like to drink a Nesquik Chocolate milk right after the game to hold me over until I can get a meal). This plan is also very similar to how I prepare for a normal weeknight training session (minus eating a large meal 3 hours before).
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Insulin More Cost Effective for T1Ds

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Eli Lilly has a ripple effect on making insulin more cost effective for T1Ds. Every day patients make critical decisions in rationing their insulin and we are hopeful this will help stop families from having to make such sacrifices. Thank you to Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi! Watch the interview with Dr. Satish Garg: Diabetes doctor says it’s “high time” insulin prices are lowered Read more here:
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Dr. Satish Garg to Win TTD Lilly 2023 Insulin Centennial Award

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Congratulations Dr. Satish Garg for being named the winner of the ATTD Lilly 2023 Insulin Centennial Award. This prestigious award is given to doctors who have made significant contributions to diabetes treatment. Dr. Garg has been an international leader for insulin therapy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with expertise in clinical trials and methods of insulin delivery. Dr. Garg joined the BDC in 1988 and founded the adult clinic as senior faculty in 1992. He has also served as the director of the ATDC Keystone Diabetes conference since 2005
Two women are standing next to each other in front of a golf course.

The Only Constant is Change: Sending Your Type 1 Diabetic Off to College

November 22, 2022
By Lori Finch
A person is being tested for diabetes by a doctor.

Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes-How They Are Completely Different Diseases

November 2, 2022
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Star-Studded Gala Raised Over $1.7 Million for the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes

October 9, 2022
Diane Keaton Honored at the 36th Carousel of Hope Ball Event Featured Emcee Howie Mandel and Performers John Legend, Andy Grammer, and Deborah Cox