It’s Sunday, the day after another phenomenal Tour de Cure that I repeated as #1 fundraiser for the fourth time. It is the major fundraising event of the American Diabetes Association and the cause that I am most dedicated to.
When my son Nate was diagnosed with Type I diabetes in 2011 at the age of 15, I made a commitment to do all I could for the cause that supports diabetics as they worked towards the cure.
I’ve discovered that I feel most fulfilled when I’m working towards a goal that is truly helping people in need. It started as one father wanting to do all I could to help my son live with this life long diagnoses at a young age. I learned what a critical health crisis the diabetes epidemic had become and made a commitment to be a leading fundraiser for our local tour. Friends, relatives and colleagues responded generously to the passion I had to support my son and and work towards a cure.
What has transpired in 8 years is a large dedicated team in a small Upstate New York city that now leads the nation in caring about improving the health and wellbeing of all diabetics. I’ve seen countless lives changed by being involved in Tour. Men and women started training for the ride and transformed their bodies while helping support their fellow diabetics along the way.
Like most people, unfortunately what I think about most is myself. By being passionately involved in this volunteer and charitable work, I rebel against compulsively focusing on my egoic self centeredness. I put my heart and soul into serving others and in the process feel tremendously uplifted. While we are cycling for the cure all of us that are involved enjoy a wonderful sense of camaraderie. It’s a rapidly expanding movement that I hope and pray will lead to a cure for this horrible disease.