Save the Date for Uncorked!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 17th and join JDRF for a wine tasting event at The Arboretum of South Barrington. Tickets are $40 with 50% of your ticket price directly benefiting JDRF. Stay tuned for more details and link to purchase your tickets at the end of May. Questions? Please contact Megan Gavin at mgavin@jdrf.org

Running a Marathon?

Runners want to know how they can use a marathon to fundraise for diabetes research. Now you can! Register for the Walk at www.jdrfillinois.org under the Lakefront team "Marathoners Supporting JDRF." When runners register they can fundraise online and keep track of their donations. Spread the word to your running community! Please note that this is not an organized program.

Need Fundraising Ideas? Check Out What These Teams are Doing:

New team, Band Together for Juvenile Diabetes, is hosting Band Together on Friday, May 21, 2010 at CD & Me in Frankfort, IL. Tickets are $30 and include a food reception and drink package for three hours. What a terrific lineup of four bands, including Stellar Road, who opened for Bon Jovi at Soldier Field in 2007. For more details and ticket information please go to www.bandtogether2010.com. What a great way to kick off the summer!

Team Nick J's team captain, Summer Evans, participated in Carson's Community Days and raised over $210 for her team! So far Team Nick J has raised over $520. That's a great start!

Allison Quatrochi and Westfield Ford are starting their fundraising early this year! To kick things off, they're selling sneakers in their dealership. They also have plans for a Catwalk for a Cure in August involving their local businesses. They're hoping their upcomign Chili Cook-off will help raise donations for research. For a $2 donation, anyone can sample the chili created by Westfield Ford employees and vote for their favorite. We like the creativity!

Congratulations to Michele Lindemann and her team, Team Tyler, for raising $3,000! Michele organized a jewelry sale at a local wine bar where 50% of sales went to JDRF. The event grew as she raffled off Cubs tickets, White Sox tickets, a wine tasting, and a restaurant gift certificate she collected from generous friends. They raised $800 before the event even started! Michele contacted a local newspaper to help them by doing a write up to promote the event earlier in the week. They had a great turnout. Keep up the great work!

SEKO Company had a successful fundraiser by using a Money Machine at an office party. Over $600 was raised as they watched each other try to catch real and fake money swirling around in the clear booth. Participants kept what they caught and also chose a prize after their turn in the Money Machine. It was a great way to boost employee morale and raise donations for JDRF!

JDRF Illinois School Walk Programs:

Check out our new School Walk webpage focused on both the Kids Walk program and High School involvement opportunities. Visit here

for more information. Thank you to the following schools for their participation in the JDRF Kids Walk program: Winston Campus, Jane Addams, Leib School, Centennial School, South Park Elementary School, CICS Wrightwood, and Hollis Grade School in Central Illinois.

What You Can Do Now to Get Started:

1. Register - Registration is now open! Register yourself and encourage your team to sign up today at www.jdrfillinois.org.
2. Make a Plan/Set a Goal - New to the Walk and don't know how to set a goal? Multiply how many Walkers you want to have with you on Walk Day by $100 and you'll have your goal! Want to improve on last year's total? Come up with a plan of how to surpass those numbers.
3. Fundraise -
   1. Letter Writing Campaign - Use Walk Central to fundraise online or send out a traditional letter through the mail to your friends, family, co-workers, etc. You'll be surprised at the incredible response. For examples, contact your Family Team Mentor or Walk Manager.
   2. Fundraising Events - additional fundraisers such as a garage sale, bake sale, sneaker sales at your local store or gym, change collection, Wii bowling tournaments at school or work can help guarantee success. All it takes is a little planning.

Band Together Fundraiser

Band Together Fundraiser supporting JDRF will be held on Friday, May 21^st at CD & Me in Frankfort, IL. Four bands will perform during the night including Stellar Road who opened for Bon Jovi at Soldier Field in 2007! Ticket prices are $30 each and for more information please go to www.bandtogether2010.com.

Central Illinois Email Support Group

There is a new virtual support group for parents of children living with type 1 diabetes in Central Illinois. This is an informal email group for parents looking for support from one another. To sign up, please visit Parents of Children with Diabetes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer VandeWiele.

102nd Annual Next Year Day

102nd Annual Next Year Day!

Saturday, April 10

Event begins at 8 p.m.

Harry Caray’s Tavern in Wrigleyville

Join Rick Telander & The Heckler Saturday, April 10 at Harry Caray's Tavern in Wrigleyville to celebrate the joy, frustration and eternal optimism that is ... Next Year! A portion of the proceeds will benefit JDRF. Cost is $10 at the door and doors open at 8:00 PM. Buy tickets at www.theheckler.com today!

Entertainment by: JC Brooks and the Uptown SoundHired GoonsVarious members of Del CrustaceansWorld's largest singing (outside of Wrigley Field of course) of "Go Cubs Go" and free champagne toast at midnight