TOPP Foundation (Type One Parent Project), a local type 1 diabetes (T1D) nonprofit, made a $30,000 donation in support of the Diabetes Research Institute on September 19th.
All donations go directly towards cutting-edge medical research aimed at curing type1 diabetes.
“This is the largest one-time donation TOPP has made to date. We are proud to be able to contribute to cure research and to support local families living with the daily challenges of type 1 diabetes,” said Christine Gunsiorowski, TOPP Foundation Co-Founder and President.
Tom Karlya, Senior Vice President for the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, and a parent to two children living with type 1 diabetes, stated, “We are both grateful and thrilled to begin this relationship with TOPP Foundation. The sole purpose of the Diabetes Research Institute is to find a cure for diabetes. TOPP is made up of parents, like myself, who strive to help find a cure once and for all for our kids. It is a goal we share, and we hope this initial donation is the beginning of a partnership that may continue for years.”
TOPP raised the money in part by hosting their annual Cocktails for a Cure fundraiser last fall.
TOPP’s fifth annual Cocktails for a Cure fundraiser will be held on Saturday, November 2nd, 7:00 to11:00pm, at The Bucks Club, 2600 York Road in Jamison.
Tickets are $75 per person.
Over the past four years, the fundraiser has successfully allowed TOPP to provide support to local T1D families and make significant donations to cure-focused research, such as the $30,000 donation to the Diabetes Research Institute.
Cocktails for a Cureis a great evening filled with music, dancing, silent auctions, raffles, an open buffet and, of course, cocktails!
To purchase tickets visit www.toppfoundation.org.
TOPP Foundation is a local nonprofit founded in 2016 by three mothers who each have a son with Type One Diabetes.
TOPP’s mission is to support and connect the local T1D community and raise funds supporting efforts to find a cure.
The local T1D community is supported by TOPP in multiple ways. TOPP hosts a T1D parent support group, with occasional speakers, on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30pm in the Central Bucks Ambulance & Rescue Building at 455 East Street in Doylestown. They also host family-friendly social events for families living with T1D, organize monthly luncheons, and hold successful fundraising campaigns twice a year.
In addition, the TOPP Camp Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to families wishing to send children with Type One Diabetes to a specialized diabetes summer camp.
Children with T1D are often unable to attend overnight summer camp because their disease requires 24-hour attention.
TOPP understands that the medical costs of T1D can be daunting and a specialized camp can be a further financial hardship.
For information and to learn more about TOPP Foundation, visit www.toppfoundation.org or email [email protected].
The Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine leads the world in cure-focused research.
As one of the largest and most comprehensive research centers dedicated to curing diabetes, the DRI is aggressively working to develop a biological cure by restoring natural insulin production and normalizing blood sugar levels without imposing other risks. Researchers have already shown that transplanted islet cells allow patients to live without the need for insulin therapy.
Some study participants have maintained insulin independence for more than 10 years.
The DRI is now building upon these promising outcomes through its BioHub strategy, a multidisciplinary, three-pronged approach for addressing the major challenges that stand in the way of a cure: eliminate the need for anti-rejection drugs, reset the immune system to block autoimmunity, and develop an unlimited supply of insulin-producing cells.
For more information, visit DiabetesResearch.org, call 1-800-321-3437, or tweet @Diabetes_DRI.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s pancreas stops producing insulin, a hormone that enables people to get energy from food.
It occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cell in in the pancreas.
Its onset has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle.
There is nothing you can do to prevent T1D and – at present – there is no cure.
T1D strikes both children and adults at any age.
It comes on suddenly, causes dependence on injected or pumped insulin for life, and carries the constant threat of devastating complications.