DARIEN, Conn. — Weightlifting is routine for sports teams, but last week’s football weight room session at Darien High School took on a little more meaning.
On February 29, 60 members of the DHS football team participated in a weightlifting fundraiser to support Youth Diabetes Research, the world’s leading organization funding research into type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease for which there is currently no cure. We raised over $12,000 for the Foundation (JDRF). Millions of children and adults are affected.
This is the seventh year the DHS football program has raised funds for JDRF through the “Lift For A Cure” event. In total, the program raised nearly $125,000 for him.
Cheering on the athletes at this year’s event were the Kirby family, whose son Evan has type 1 diabetes, and Jill Waller, JDRF development coordinator for the New York metropolitan area chapter. The Kirbys’ other son, Jason, is a freshman football player at DHS.
Jim Kirby and Beth Hantman, parents of Hazel, who also has type 1 diabetes, spoke to the players earlier this month about the challenges of the disease.
“This is a favorite event for both players and coaches,” DHS head football coach Andy Grant said in a news release. “The boys love the competitive aspect, but knowing it’s for a great cause motivates them even more, especially when they hear families affected by this disease telling them about this disease. .This is not only for us to help the community, but also to show our team what it feels like to have a positive impact on the community.”
Donations to JDRF for this event are still being accepted at: this link. If you have any questions, please contact us at darienbwfootball@gmail.com.