TEAMS ON THE GO!

Check out what these teams are doing and see how they will inspire you:

Jimel's Team will host "An Evening of Hope" on Saturday, August 21st, from 8:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. at the Pullman Porter Museum in Chicago, IL. The event will feature cocktails, appetizers, DJ, Live Band and a raffle. The proceeds will benefit their Walk team: $20 donation in advance, $25 at the door. For tickets or more information, please contact Charise Parson-Gardner at 773.259.1668.

BERKOT’S SUPER FOODS is hosting the 7th Annual Ryan’s Rescuers Golf Scramble on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at the Green Garden Country Club in Frankfort, IL. Special celebrity guests will be Dan Hampton, Denis Savard and Roland Harper. Please join Berkot’s in their effort to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. To register your foursome please contact Derrick Cannon at derrickcannon@sbcglobal.net or 815-463-5046.

Caputo and Son’s Fruit Market held their first annual Golf Tournament benefitting JDRF. The tournament raised over $15,000 for diabetes research. Congratulations on a successful event and we look forward to working with you in 2011.
Cruisin' for Conor held a tiki-themed Jazz night at the end of July to benefit their Walk team. The event was held in honor of Conor, a 12-year old diabetic. It was a fun-filled night with the main attraction being Four on the Floor, a jazz ensemble from the local community which Conor hopes to join someday. Attending guests made donations, purchased silent auction items and t-shirts for Crusin’ for Conor and helped raise nearly $3,000. To help promote the voting for the Pepsi Refresh Project, as one of the 3 finalists, they tied reminder notes around Pepsi cans at the party. Good Luck, Conor!

The Nalco corporate team is getting started early and held their internal kick-off at the beginning of the month. Nalco employees are rallying their support and fundraising already. Some Nalco walkers shared why they are involved in the Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes. “I walk because it takes so little time and energy to do so much in the lives of those who need our help.” Another Nalco employee walks because “We have friends and our children have friends who are affected by this disease. By walking we are helping make a difference and teaching our children the value of “giving back.” Plus we have a great time as a family!”
Supporting Sponsor, UGL Equis, raised over $400 last year during their company Ice Cream Social, where Executives served everyone, benefitting their JDRF Walk team. Anyone who donated $2 could participate. This year they are raising the stakes with a Bagel Fundraising Breakfast for a suggested $5 donation. What a tasty way to raise additional funds!

Salon Two Nine is gearing up for the Walk and trying some new fundraising ideas. They held a cut-a-thon on Saturday, August 7th at the North Aurora Days by offering $10 haircuts with all proceeds benefiting JDRF. It was a huge success and they had over a three-hour wait for haircuts and raised over $750! Salon Two Nine is also kicking-off their Sneaker Sales campaign at the salon this month. Way to go Salon Two Nine!

If you are holding an event to benefit your Walk Team, please let us know! We'd love to help promote it.  Contact your local Walk Manager with details.  

Diabetes is Hard to "Bear" A Great Way to Raise Funds with Plushland Bears

Plushland Bears is offering a great fundraising promotion to all JDRF Walk supporters with the sale of their JDRF Walk bear. For additional details and to get started on your fundraiser, visit www.plushland.com/JDRF or call 1.888.500.8697.

JDRF/Pepsi Grant Opportunities - June 24th Deadline

Looking to boost your 2010 team total? Your Walk team could win a $10,000 or $2,500 Pepsi-JDRF grant!

Read the below form for complete details and hurry! Applications must be submitted by June 24th! You must be registered the 2010 Walk first in order to participate!

Application selection will take place during the month of June, with the top three winners announced in late June. Voting will be open to the public during the months of August and September. Voting instructions are will be available on Pepsi products located in Walgreens store locations throughout the state of Illinois.

If you have any questions, please your local Walk Manager.

Good Luck! Thank you for your continued support of JDRF!

JDRF Garage Sale

Family Teams are getting creative and putting in the hard work to raise donations for their Walk Teams. Check out the latest:

JDRF Garage Sale - proceeds to benefit JDRF
Friday & Saturday, June 18-19, 2010
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
704 Ridgefield Rd., New Lenox, IL
Contact Anne Marie Dybala dybala@ameritech.net for more information!

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!

Supporting JDRF during the Holidays

JDRF Holiday Cards
Send holiday greetings to family, friends and business associates, and contribute to a worthy cause! MorethanCards.com has raised more that $1 million for JDRF in the last 7 years. To view the card designs and order online, please visit: www.jdrf.org/cards. Cards are able to be customized.

For more information or to order cards designed by local children, please contact the office at 312/670-0313. You can view the designs on the JDRF Illinois website. We are not able to customize these cards.

MJ2 & Celebrity Friends for JDRF
MJ2 is proud to announce the release of, “You Can’t Say Love Enough,” A musical event brought to you through SweetSong Nashville. This all star single, featuring Dolly Parton, Wayne Newton, Heidi Newfield and many more will raise untold dollars for JDRF and Diabetes Research and Outreach. This one of a kind song will be available on iTunes, exclusively with all net proceeds being donated to JDRF.


Creedence Run with Rudolph
The band Creedence Clearwater Revisited has recorded a cover of the holiday classic “Run Rudolph Run” for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s charity fundraising compilation CD Hope For The Holidays – Rockin’ Christmas for a Cure. The group is based around the Creedence Clearwater Revival rhythm section: bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford. The band has toured regularly since 1995, playing classics from the Creedence catalogue. Other artists contributing unreleased material to the diverse Hope For The Holidays album include: Weezer, Collective Soul, the Beach Boys’ Mike Love, Whitesnake’s David Coverdale and Jon Anderson of Yes. Proceeds from the recording will go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

For more information, and details on where you can purchase the CD, please visit http://www.jdrf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=EA304E24-1279-D3DC-F9383E9549F2B26E&page_version_id=0937DAC8-1321-C844-13787CA3C8DD32B6.

Matching Gifts

Remember, you can double or even triple your dollars raised with matching gifts!

Here's how:

1. Contact your companies HR Department to see if JDRF is eligible & complete the paperwork.
2. Be sure to ask your team members and donors if their company has a matching gift program. If you've already turned in all your donations, it's still not to late to have them matched.
3. Send the matching gift form to JDRF and we will do all the work from there! It's easy!
   

Please note: You must designate the JDRF Illinois Chapter as the recipient of your matching gift in order for the funds to be directed to your team's total.

Happy Thanksgiving!

JDRF is thankful for YOU!

It's that time of year where we all celebrate the things we are thankful for in our lives. JDRF is thankful for you, our generous supporters who continue to work hard to raise money for vital research. Celebrate the hope of a cure this Thanksgiving holiday!

November is also National Diabetes Awareness Month. Visit www.jdrf.org for ongoing coverage of the month's activities.

Don't Stop Now!

We need your continued help to reach our $5.6 million goal! Now is the time to turn in any additional donations you may still have at your home or office. Turn your money in so it can be counted toward your team total. Donations can be sent in a collection envelope or mailed to the JDRF Illinois Chapter office at 500 N. Dearborn, Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60654-3387. Please be sure to include a note with your site, team name and walker name.

Still have a little way before reaching your team's goal? Keep up the great work by trying one of these ideas:

• Plan a holiday party benefiting JDRF!


• Follow-up with friends or family who still need to send you their donation.


• Include an appeal in your holiday card.


• Ask your child's school to hold a Kids Walk. The Kids Walk Program gives students the opportunity to help fellow classmates affected by diabetes AND raise money for their school. Schools can receive 10% of the money raised! For more information, click here or contact your local Walk Manager to set-up a Kids Walk.


• Incorporate JDRF fundraising during football season.


• Ask a local business to donate a percentage of sales back to JDRF.


• Auction off a close parking space at the office during the cold winter months.


• Collect change for JDRF - every cent counts! JDRF canisters are available. Contact your local Walk Manager to place an order.


• We still accept money well into the New Year!

Take a look at these post-Walk fundraising events & activities - let's keep those dollars coming in!

• Congratulations to the 3 Coffeys, No Sugar family team for receiving nearly $1,700 through the Race to Cure Diabetes held on October 31st in Peoria’s Detweiller Park. The annual event is organized by a family friend and had more than 75 race participants.
  
• The Nalco team is expecting an additional $20,000 for their team! Nalco is matching their team fundraising and will now have a team total of over $53,000. That’s nearly $30,000 more than in 2008. Congratulations to Dave Flitman and the Nalco team!
  
• Congratulations to Geja’s Café on their 10th Annual Great Growths Wine Tasting & Auction! This event raised over $26,000 for research and surpassed last years’ record-breaking total by $9,000!
  
• Special thanks to Omaha Steaks for generating over $4,000 for diabetes research through their sneaker sales campaign!
  
• Go Roma is partnering with JDRF during the month of November to help raise funds for diabetes research. Visit any Go Roma location on a Saturday in November and bring this flyer, and Go Roma will donate 20% of all sales back to JDRF. What a great way to help support a great cause and enjoy some great food! Please forward this on to all of your friends and family.
  
• Build-a-Bear Workshops will offer an exciting new fundraising program for JDRF thru November 30th. A special JDRF donation prompt will be on the “pin pad” checkout stations in all U.S. store locations. The pin pad will prompt all credit/debit card customers for a charitable donation, which will directly benefit local JDRF Chapters.
  
• Walgreens is holding its annual JDRF retail fundraising event now through November 30, 2009. The chain-wide “Lend a Hand” co-promotion features a $1 “give & get” coupon. Give $1 to help fight juvenile diabetes, and receive a $1 coupon for a Coca-Cola product. Be sure to spread the word to your family and friends and ask them to visit a Walgreens store today! Every dollar raised brings us closer to a cure!
  
• Thank you to the Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. and their holiday gift to all our JDRF Walk participants! They are giving all our Walk Team Captains complimentary passes to the 9th Annual One of a Kind Show. The One of a Kind Show Chicago is an extraordinary holiday shopping show featuring the best in fine art and fine craft from more than 500 artists, artisans and designers from across North America. Each item for sale at the show will be made by hand one piece at a time and every artist represented will be in attendance--offering shoppers the wonderful opportunity to buy pieces directly from the artist who created it. Complementing one-of-a-kind shopping, you will be treated to live music, fashion shows, expert presentations, gourmet cafes, bars and special events.
  Your ticket is good for you and a friend, and all four days of the show. Click here https://www.microspec.com/tix123/etic.cfm?code=OOAKCHG09 and enter ECPPartner as the promotion code to receive your complimentary pass. Be sure to visit the JDRF Booth where you can view the two beautiful Project Snap mosaic pieces that will be auctioned off at our Chance of a Lifetime Gala on Saturday, December 12th. You can also purchase your own poster of the mosaics. 25% of all proceeds from poster sales will benefit JDRF Illinois.
  

Ford Drive One for JDRF Event

Join us on Saturday, October 24th for the Ford Drive One for JDRF event!

What: Take a free test-drive and Ford Motor Company will donate up to $6,000 (per participating dealer) to JDRF!

The more people that drive, the more JDRF will earn.

Where: Westfield Ford – 6200 S. LaGrange Rd. Countryside, IL 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Arlington Heights Ford – 801 W. Dundee Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Joe Rizza Ford of Orland Park – 8100 W. 159th St. Orland Park, IL 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Must be 18 years or older with a valid driver’s license. Donation of $20 per valid test-drive up to 300 total test-drives per dealership for a maximum total donation of $6,000 per dealership. Limit (1) JDRF donation per household. Donation will be added to your team total.

Peoria Chili's Promotion

How about dinner out at Chili's for a good cause?

Between September 5th - October 15, if you bring the above voucher (click on voucher to enlarge for printing) with you to the Peoria or East Peoria Chilis, 10% of your purchase will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Please forward on to your family and friends. You can easily forward this post by clicking on the mail icon below.

Please help us get another step closer to a cure!

Walk day is quickly approaching!

Sunday, September 13, 2009 in Central Illinois in Peoria.

Sunday, October 4th in 5 Chicagoland locations:
Chicago (Lawrence Avenue at the Lakefront)
Northern Suburbs (Independence Grove, Libertyville)
Northwest Suburbs (Busse Woods, Schaumburg)
Southwest Suburbs (Centennial Park, Orland Park)
Western Suburbs (Community Park,Lisle)

Have you registered yet? We're just weeks away!
Register today and spead the word to family, friends, neighbors & co-workers! Step up and be a part of the cure!

Take a look at these JDRF Walk Stimulus Packages!
Ramp up your Chicago-area Walk registrations and help JDRF prepare for Walk day!

To help motivate our family team participants, we’ve added an incentive just for you! The family team that has the highest number of registered walkers by September 14th will receive a $100 Lettuce Entertain You gift card. One family team per Chicago-area Walk site. Register today at http://www.jdrf.org/.

One family team will win a package for four to Maywood Park’s Night at the Races event on Friday, September 18 plus a $100 Lettuce Entertain You gift card. Raise $1,000 on-line by September 14th and your team will be part of an incentive drawing.

Welcome new corporate friends! JDRF will provide a complimentary 10x10 tent to one new corporate team that has at least $2,500 raised on-line by September 14th! Get your fundraising going with this great Walk-day incentive!

Sneaker Sales

JDRF Illinois is so grateful for the support of our local sneaker sales partners: Berkot's Super Foods, Omaha Steaks and Waxberg Walk Shoppe. Thank you so much for your continued support of JDRF!

JDRF is also grateful for our National Sneaker Sales Partners:

Advance Auto Parts will deliver a JDRF campaign to remember this year with a goal of raising $3 million for JDRF. Advance will sell JDRF sneakers in over 3,400 stores nationwide from August 27 through October 3, 2009. Be sure to stop by an Advance Auto Parts store and thank them for their incredible support!

Gordman's launched a sneaker sales and fundraising program in 2008 that raised over $100,000 for JDRF! We are thrilled that they will continue their partnership with JDRF in 2009! Starting on Friday, August 7th through Sunday, August 23rd, Gordmans will be selling sneakers in all of their 65 locations in 16 states. Gordmans prides themselves on delighting their guests with big savings on name brands in fun, easy-to-shop stores. For more information on the company and store locations visit http://www.gordmans.com/.

Marshalls is an organization that is committed to giving back to its communities and has committed to doing so with their pledge to JDRF. Over the past 16 years, the Marshalls sneaker sales campaign has raised more than $13.8 million, raising nearly $1.3 million in 2008 alone. Please visit a Marshalls store near you between August 23rd and September 26th and help them reach their goal of $1.5 million by purchasing a JDRF Sneaker and thanking Marshalls for their continued and tremendous support of JDRF’s efforts to find a cure for type 1 diabetes.

The Fresh Market will sell green JDRF sneakers in all 90 store locations from August 28 through September 13, 2009. The Fresh Market’s signature Sidewalk Sale event will take place from September 11 through September 13 in all Fresh Market stores. Illinois stores are located in Geneva, Kildeer & Wilmette. The Fresh Market will sell root beer floats, gourmet hot dogs, and other tasty treats from 11:00 AM through 6:00 PM each day of the weekend with proceeds benefitting JDRF! Support JDRF & The Fresh Market's fundraising efforts by visiting your local store during their campaign.

Walgreens continues to be a wonderful partner to JDRF and have generated $17 million dollars over the past two decades! Walgreens will sell a $1 coupon booklet featuring the JDRF sneaker logo in over 7,000 Walgreens outlets across the country from November 1st to November 30th. Be sure to stop in your local Walgreens to buy the coupon booklet and thank them for their generous support of JDRF!

Is your company interested in selling sneakers to support JDRF? Selling sneakers for JDRF is easy, efficient and no cost to you. Every sneaker sold brings us closer to a cure! Please contact the JDRF office at 312.670.0313 and ask for your local Walk Manager to learn more.

Ford's Family Team Sponsorship

Ford's Operation Goodwill Campaign

Ford Motor Company’s Operation Goodwill Campaign helped raise over $100,000 for the 2008 JDRF Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes!

Ford continues their role as a JDRF Global Walk Partner and as a JDRF Illinois Chapter Sponsor. We appreciate their continued dedication to our mission!

How does this partnership affect JDRF Walk families? As a presenting sponsor for the Ron Santo Walk to Cure Diabetes, Ford dealerships have the unique opportunity to partner with a Walk Family Team. Our goal for this partnership is to establish a connection between Ford and the community while increasing Family Team success.

The inaugural year of the Ford Family Team Sponsorship raised $25,000 through nine Ford Dealerships sponsoring 10 Family Teams. This campaign drove their local participation to new heights and gave JDRF Family Teams an opportunity for greater success! Success means more funding for diabetes research.

What to expect from a Ford dealership as a partner:

• 13 Ford dealerships will select one winning Family Team each (winning teams announced in August).

• Dealerships have the option of hosting Family Team fundraising events at their dealership.

• Ford dealerships will match the money raised by your Family Team - up to $2,500!

What is expected of selected Family Teams:

• Interested JDRF Family Teams must apply for a dealership sponsor.

• If selected, families are responsible for raising money for the Walk through personal campaign letters sent to family, friends, and community members asking for support and highlighting the unique Ford Dealership partnership.

• Family teams may display dealership name on t-shirts, post-walk wrap-up letters, etc.

• If chosen, Family Teams should thank the dealership partner for their commitment to a cure and support of your team.

If your team is interested in this amazing opportunity, please complete the below application and return it to the JDRF Illinois office by Friday, July 31, 2009. We look forward to hearing from you! Please contact Katy Orender, JDRF Lakefront Walk Manager, for more information at 312.423.7196.

Walk Fundraising Tips

Top Ten Steps for Walk Fundraising

Step One: Online Fundraising is Oh So Easy
Visit http://www.jdrf.org/ and create your own personal page that prospective donors can view. Set your goal, upload your e-mail list, add a personal photo, and send out your customized letters inviting your contacts to make an online credit card contribution. Sit back and watch the dollars grow on your own personal website!

Step Two: Face-to Face Conversations Seal the Deal
Asking people in person is a fast and effective way to collect donations. Ask 10 friends for $10 each and you will raise enough to earn the JDRF Walk t-shirt! Use JDRF and diabetes information available in your Walk brochure or online to inform them about how contributions raised through the Walk to Cure Diabetes will be used and why your personal participation is important to you.

Step Three: Letter Writing Makes an Impact
Sometimes a personalized and stamped letter can work magic. Remember, not everyone has email, so you may have some great potential donors who need to receive your formal solicitation letter.

Step Four: Follow up is Key
Be considerate, but remember that people are busy and may need a little nudge. Share a reminder on why you are raising money for diabetes research. Tell everyone how the fundraising is going and how close you are to your goal, and remind them that it’s not too late to contribute. This little reminder can clinch your success!

Step Five: Matching Gifts Double Your Efforts
Find out if your company has a matching gift program. Always remember to ask your sponsors whether or not their companies will match their donations. See if your company offers a match program at www.matchinggifts.com/jdrf.

Step Six: Walk Brochure—Never Leave Home Without It
Always carry a JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes brochure wherever you go. You never know when you will run into a potential supporter!

Step Seven: Ask Where You Shop, ‘Til You Drop
Ask the businesses you frequent for a donation—such as your grocer, hair stylist, dry cleaner, doctor, gym, coffee shop, and favorite restaurant.

Step Eight: Grab Peoples’ Attention
Promote your efforts for the cause by wearing your favorite Walk to Cure Diabetes T-shirt. You will be more "official" and get more attention promoting your upcoming Walk. Also bring along a personal story to share—if you don’t have a diabetes connection, ask your local JDRF Chapter for a Child Ambassador’s story.

Step Nine: Donor Amounts—Think Big, Get Big Results
Don’t undersell your cause and your efforts! Any size donation is great, but if you ask for too small of an amount, people will limit their giving. Try saying "I am asking 10 of my friends for $10 – can you make a donation to fund diabetes research?" Or if you are fundraising online, ask someone who you think will make a larger donation to let you list it on your fundraising webpage – people will see that example and follow suit!

Step Ten: Always Be Thankful
Be sure to send thank you notes to all your donors. Let them know how much you raised, as well as how much your local Walk to Cure Diabetes raised. You can also share some great research funding highlights.