Are you ready for a Swim? The 16th annual Swim Teal Lake for Diabetes comes to the shores of Teal Lake in Negaunee Saturday, July 27. The long swim ends at Al Quaal Beach in Ishpeming.
- The Short and Sweet (¼ mile) swim is open to ALL ages and takes off at 8:30AM.
- The recreational long distance swim (2 ¼ miles) leaves the shore at 9AM.
- Advanced swimmers hit the water at 9:30AM.
Register online at www.teallakeswim.com. A minimum donation of $20 per person for the Short and Sweet Swim and $75 per person for the long distance swim is requested. Swimmers are encouraged to seek sponsors for their swim; this year, the major sponsor for the Swim, West End Health Foundation, will match swimmer donations up to $20,000 this year!
Not a Swimmer? You can still support the Swim and U.P. programs to address diabetes prevention, detection, care and support by:
- Bringing your kayak and helping to keep the swimmers safe as they swim across Teal Lake.
- Buying or selling raffle tickets (or donating a prize for the raffle).
- Helping to sponsor a swimmer.
Headed by Dr. Mike Grossman, the Swim supports diabetes projects across the U.P. A couple of the programs the proceeds from this years swim will help support the 3rd annual Type 1 Diabetes Forum (November 2 – Olympic Swimmer Gary Hall Jr. and pediatric endocrinologist, Dr. Wood will be the key note speakers) and services to make certain that all people with type 1 diabetes have access to affordable insulin.
An estimated 5% of the people living with diabetes have type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is NOT linked to lifestyle like being overweight, eating certain foods and not being active, can NOT be prevented and can NOT be cured.
Everyone living with type 1 diabetes must use insulin everyday to live. The cost of insulin for those who are underinsured or uninsured has become difficult to afford for many people living with type 1 diabetes. One U.P. resident who lives with type 1 diabetes recently lost her insurance for 2 months, when she was between jobs. When she went to the pharmacy to pick up her insulin, she could not afford the $600 cost. A drug discount program only took $12 off the cost of the insulin. Needless to say, this U.P. resident was desperate and scared – without insulin she would die!! She ended up going to Facebook to find insulin! Minnesota resident Alec Smith was not so lucky, 4 months after he went off his parents insurance, he was dead because he couldn’t afford his insulin and was taking less than he needed.
The U.P. Diabetes Outreach Network, a program partner of UPCAP, has been serving the U.P. since 1985. For more information about the Swim or diabetes, contact UPDON at 906.273.1120 or cambensyk@upcap.org.
