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DADS
DAY /"DOLLARS AGAINST DIABETES" June 18, 2004 Throngs of passengers pour from subway station escalators early on a muggy June morning in Washington, D.C. Men and women in white polo shirts imprinted with the message, "IBEW-The Union of Hearts and Minds," meet them with buckets and brochures and ask for donations. "Its Dads Day, they shout. "Spare a dollar for diabetes research." Left: Ancelia Lee, Secretary, International Office, member of OPEIU, Local 2, accepts donations for DAD's Day. Since 1987, members of the unions affiliated with the Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD), AFL-CIO, have been stationed at busy intersections all over the country requesting donations from passing motorists and pedestrians or staging other events to benefit diabetes research. The BCTD represents 15 international and national unions, over 6,000 local unions and more than 3 million members. Diabetes is a serious chronic disease that affects more than 17 million children and adults in this country. The disease is the result of the bodys inability to create or effectively use its own insulin, a hormone necessary to convert the foods we eat into glucose. If left untreated, diabetes leads to devastating complications, such as blindness, kidney disease, nerve and blood vessel damage, amputations, heart disease, stroke and even death. DADs Day collections have raised over $17 million for diabetes research since 1987. The yearly campaigns provided essential funding for construction of the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) at the University of Miami in Florida, a world leader in cure-focused research. Built in 1994, by 100 percent union labor, the institute has successfully reversed diabetes in patients involved in ongoing clinical trials. The DRI conducts a broad range of scientific programs focused on the rapidly evolving fields of gene therapy, molecular biology, and transplant immunology. Right: Jim Combs, Executive Assistant to IBEW Secretary-Treasurer Jerry O'Connor, collects a dollar for diabetes research. Ed Hill, President of the IBEW, says: "Im very proud of IBEW members and their families who dedicate time and effort to help overcome the horrible consequences of diabetes. They demonstrate that union people are compassionate, caring members of our communities." Union members raise additional funds for research through walk-a-thons, motorcycle rides, golf and softball tournaments, raffles and other local events. Over the years, DADs Day has been recognized by U.S. Senators, Cabinet members, Governors and even the President of the United States. Help find a cure for this devastating disease that affects so many of our friends and relatives. Your tax-deductible contributions will help make a difference. Write to Dollars Against Diabetes, 815 16th St. N.W. Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20006. Call 888-883-3237 or online: www.DADSDAY.org.
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