American Diabetes Association
The 9th Annual
“Dancing Through Downtown”
Step Out to Stop Diabetes Walk
By Janie Bell
American Diabetes Association (ADA) will hold the 9th annual “Dancing Through Downtown” walk on Saturday, October 8th at Whataburger Field beginning at 7:30 a.m. This year’s “Dancing Through Downtown” Walk is co-chaired by Mayor Joe Adame, Police Chief Troy Riggs and Stacey Rivere with Sherwin Alumina. This year’s Honorary Chairman is State Representative Todd Hunter.
“Dancing Through Downtown” is a truly unique community event which began nine years ago. The walk traverses the Uptown and Downtown areas and the route is lined with entertainment to amuse walkers. The enthusiasm for this event continues to grow as the community comes together each year to raise awareness about diabetes, honor those with diabetes, and to raise the important funds needed to fight the disease.
“When I was initially asked to be a part of this event for Sherwin, I did not have any family or friends with diabetes,” said Stacey Rivere, co-chair. “As I got involved with fundraising for Sherwin and eventually as a co-chair, I have found out I was mistaken. Diabetes, unfortunately, is on the rise, in South Texas. It is only through events like Step Out and increased awareness that we can help turn those numbers around. I hope to see a big community turnout at the walk on the 8th of October at Whataburger Field.”
Unique to the event this year is “La Feria De Salud” a community family festival focusing on healthy lifestyle choices to “Stop Diabetes”. It will be held on the concourse of Whataburger Field. As walkers return to Whataburger field they will have the opportunity to participate in educational presentations, cooking demonstrations, diabetes screenings and visit vendor booths. The Mayor’s Fitness Council and Nueces County have underwritten the costs of the diabetes screenings. The festival is free and open to the community even if they do not participate in the walk.
On Saturday, October 8, 2011, registration for the walk begins at 7:30 a.m. with opening ceremonies beginning at 8:00 a.m. Walkers will get energized with a vigorous warm-up. Then at the sound of the sirens, joggers, cyclists and walkers will proceed to N. Tancahua Street and follow the parade route as it winds through the uptown and downtown area. Once again this year the parade of walkers will be led by the Downtown Management District’s brightly painted tram driven by Alan Albin, Special Projects Coordinator! On board the tram will be Dexter, Dance till Dawn Entertainment, to encourage and entertain walkers while announcing the more-than twenty entertainment venues along the route. Cheerleaders, clowns, folklorico dancers, musicians, rock bands, jazz bands, twirlers, and elementary school spirit teams are among the highlights. The entertainers generously donate their time and talents for this special Saturday morning.
The fun is sure to keep the heart pumping and feet moving! What better way to get fit and serve a great cause at the same time! There will be awards for Best Costume, Team with Most Walkers, Top Fundraising Team and Best T-shirt Design.
We hope our community rallies around this walk because it’s an opportunity for people in the Coastal Bend to step out and do something – volunteer, form a team, and donate money—to help those who daily endure diabetes and its related illnesses. Ultimately, we want to help make our community a better, a healthier place to live and work.
Major local sponsors for the event include H.E.B., CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital System, Port Industries of Corpus Christi, Grainger and the Caller Times. Other major sponsors are CITGO Corpus Christi Refinery, Valero, Navy Army Federal Credit Union, Flint Hills Resources, Sherwin Alumina, Clear Channel Radio, Corpus Christi Hooks, KIIITV 3, NuStar, Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson LLP, Port Corpus Christi, Downtown Management District, KIII TV3, and Driscoll Children’s Hospital.
Today, more than 86,000 people in Coastal Bend Area are living with diabetes. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of serious complications including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, and a number of other life threatening effects.
The American Diabetes Association is the nation’s leading voluntary non-profit health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. We lead the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fight for all those affected by diabetes:
- We fund research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes.
- We deliver services to hundreds of communities.
- We provide objective and credible information.
- We give voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.
For more information on volunteering or forming a team in “Dancing Through Downtown” call 361.850.8778 or visit www.diabetes.org/stepoutcorpuschristi
Last year, more than 2,500 walkers representing local business and industry, families and friends participated in “Dancing Through Downtown”. Let’s make this year’s event even larger!