The Carousel Ball

5:30 p.m. Event Begins (Red Carpet, Silent Auction, Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres)

7:15 p.m. Ballroom Doors Open 

7:45 p.m. Start of Show

8:00 p.m. Dinner

8:30-11:30 p.m. Live Auction, Awards & Entertainment

11:30 p.m. Event Concludes

This year's Founders Award recipient is Kevin Sayer, whose visionary leadership and steadfast support of the diabetes community has made an incredible and lasting impact. 

Over the course of his career, Kevin has helped shape the diabetes landscape through his advocacy and leadership, serving as CFO of MiniMed, working as a GM for Medtronic Diabetes, and most recently serving more than 14 years at Dexcom, where he led the company cas CEO for 11 years before stepping down in 2025. He now continues this work as Executive Chairman of the Board at Dexcom, further advancing innovation and care for those living with T1D around the world. 

We are honored to recognize him with this award.

We are pleased to announce that Little Big Town will be the entertainment for this year's Carousel Ball!

Little Big Town—composed of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman, and Jimi Westbrook—are one of country music’s most enduring and celebrated groups. Over a 25-year career, the GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, AMA, and Emmy Award-winning band has delivered a string of genre-defining hits including “Boondocks,” “Pontoon,” “Tornado,” “Day Drinking,” and the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015, “Girl Crush.” 

Their acclaimed albums Tornado, PainKiller, The Breaker (which debuted at No. 1 and featured the GRAMMY-winning “Better Man”), Nightfall, and Mr. Sun have produced multiple No. 1 singles and earned widespread critical praise. The band recently introduced their next chapter with the releases of “Hey There Sunshine” and “Over and Over,” the first songs unveiled from their forthcoming 12th studio album, It's A Dying Art, arriving August 28 via MCA. Co-produced by Karen Fairchild and two-time GRAMMY winner Gena Johnson, the project embraces the sound and spirit of human-made music through intimate storytelling, emotional balladry, and collaborations with Ashley Monroe, Jason Isbell, and Kelsea Ballerini. 

To date, Little Big Town has amassed more than 45 major award nominations and taken home over 20 wins across GRAMMYs, CMAs, ACMs, AMAs, People’s Choice Awards, and an Emmy. With the upcoming release of It’s A Dying Art, Little Big Town continues to build on a legacy as one of country music’s most respected and influential groups. 

Photo Credit: Becky Fluke

Advertise in the Program Book 

Promote your business, honor our honorees, or show your type 1 hero how much you admire their courage by purchasing an ad in their honor in The Carousel Ball program book! 

• Program Book Reach: The printed program is distributed to approximately 800 important community influencers at the event. The digital program book is issued to our email list and promoted to 50,000+ followers across all our social media platforms. 
• The Impact of Your Purchase: Your support helps fund everything from financial assistance for patients at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes to groundbreaking research on prevention and post-diagnosis treatments—and so much more in between. Above all, you’re helping us pursue the ultimate goal: a cure.

Donate to our Live or Silent Auction

CDF will recognize your generous donation in our auction during the event, which brings together hundreds of influential community members united in the fight to find a cure for diabetes. Your business will also be featured in our online auction catalog—viewed and bid on by supporters nationwide—and listed in the evening’s printed program. For physical items or unique experiences valued at $1,000 or more, your logo will be included on our website as an official auction donor. Donations valued at $2,000 or more will also receive a dedicated social media post (our pages collectively have over 50,000 followers!). To contribute to The Carousel Ball live or silent auction, please contact Hayley Hardwick at Auction@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org.

Attendee Gift Bags

Every guest at The Carousel Ball takes home a signature gift bag—a beloved tradition that adds a special touch to the evening. Filled with unique products and delightful treats, it’s a memorable part of the event experience. Interested in becoming a Gift Bag Sponsor and showcasing your product or brand to 900+ influential community members? Contact Mackenzie Atencio at Mackenzie@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in becoming a sponsor of The Carousel Ball? This high-profile, black-tie gala offers exceptional visibility and recognition opportunities for your brand, all while supporting the Children’s Diabetes Foundation and our mission to find a cure for diabetes. As a sponsor, you'll be aligned with one of the nation’s most anticipated philanthropic events, gaining exposure to an audience of over 900 influential community leaders, philanthropists, and business professionals. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how you can make a meaningful impact, please contact Amanda Miller at Amanda@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org or 303-628-5112.

Volunteer

The Carousel Ball depends on the dedication, energy, and generosity of our incredible volunteers to help deliver a seamless and memorable evening for all who attend. If you’re interested in joining our volunteer team for The Carousel Ball, please contact Sydney Lundgren at Sydney@ChildrensDiabetesFoundation.org.