Team Caleb’s Cure has been one of our top family walk teams since their first walk in 2009. Over the past 8 years, they have raised over $65,000 for JDRF and are currently working towards their goal of $13,000 for this year’s walk.

Caleb was diagnosed with T1D at age 3. Overnight, Caleb’s families’ lives were turned upside down as they had to learn how to live with T1D. Caleb’s mom, Kristy, says that his diagnosis was overwhelming for their family and that the adjustment uprooted their lives for the first year. Now, Caleb is 11 and has learned how to test his blood sugar, count carbs and work his pump all by himself. He has a great support system both at home and at school and continues to learn how best to manage his diabetes.

            After being diagnosed in December of 2008, Caleb’s family participated in their first walk in 2009. They were able to raise $5,000 their first year, and have been able to raise and reach their goal each year since! Caleb’s Cure uses an email campaign for the majority of their fundraising efforts. They begin by emailing return donors and team members, friends, family, and coworkers. The initial emails tell Caleb’s story, and shows research progress that has been made in T1D research since Caleb’s diagnosis, while also asking for team members and donations. Each year this team strives to not only raise more money, but also to have more team members than the year before. Kristy suggests the importance of explaining recent research developments, so that all donors can see exactly what type of immediate impact they are having on those living with T1D. She says it’s important to show donors what their donations have done and what they can do.

Once members have joined Caleb’s Cure, they receive daily emails with fundraising updates and a leader scoreboard. Kristy says that she has had major success using a leader board to show who is raising the most money, because it turns fundraising into a competition and makes it fun. Caleb’s Cure also has a Facebook event page for the walk, where Kristy posts constant updates. She maintains constant communication with her team for the last 6 weeks before the walk, through email and Facebook, to keep her team motivated and excited for walk day.

When asked what advice she would give to newly diagnosed T1D families, Kristy expressed the importance of knowing when to ask for help and being willing to reach out to other families. Though it’s difficult at first, Kristy stresses the importance of accepting help when you’re ready and working to connect with other parents and families.